April 1st The GIFT
by Yenny
Summary: [RuHanaRu] Completed This fic is a sequel for March 31st The Choice. Hana's birthday has become one emotional day, not only for him but for those around him as well. Read on...
1. An Unexpected Gift

April 1st – The GIFT

Kaede Rukawa & Hanamichi Sakuragi 

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{} = Places 

[] = Thoughts 

" " = Speaking 

^^ = Author's notes 

= others … 

Note: This fic follows the previous one titled: **MARCH 31ST -- THE CHOICE**

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**PART 01: AN UNEXPECTED GIFT **

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{Rukawa Manor, April 1st) 

Kaede Rukawa, senior student and newly appointed captain of Shohoku's Basketball team, blindly groped for his alarm clock as its ringing easily managed to penetrate his shallow slumber. Normally, he wouldn't make use of any device to rouse him early in the morning since he usually gets up at around 7:00 a.m. to play basketball. But not today… Today he needed to be up and about earlier than that. Thus, with an enthusiasm that people who knew the impassive boy's normal waking habit would never associate him with, Rukawa heaved his semi-clad body off the bed and walked towards his closet. As he passed by the study table, his aquamarine eyes caught sight of the black box that had timely arrived two days ago. On impulse, he picked it up and opened the lid, showing the objects that he had hand picked and ordered nearly a month ago, crafted and fashioned to his taste. He was never one to adorn such jewelry but for the plan he had in mind… it was something, which he supposed, he must grow accustomed to. With a small smile, he closed the lid and placed the box inside his bag, wondering how his boyfriend would receive the gift. 

Suddenly, a loud honk from outside, heralding the arrival of his parents, broke his current musings and mobilized him into action. Grabbing his robe, he dashed to the living room and waited for his parents. After he gave them a curt greeting, he immediately went back inside his room and went straight to the bathroom. His parents' presence in Kanagawa brought his focus back to the reason why he had to get up that early in the morning. 

After about an hour and a half later, a fully clothed and ready raven head went out to the living room. "Dad, I'm off to pick Hanamichi. See you later ok?" He called as he swept past them to grab his car keys on the table. 

"Kaede…" 

In the process of turning the doorknob, the younger Rukawa spun around to face the worried expression of his mother. "Mom?" 

Naomi Rukawa walked over to her impatient looking son and questioned, "Honey, are you really sure about this?" 

"Mom…!" He started; he did not need to have the conversation since he didn't want to be late. 

"Kaede," Shinji Rukawa interjected, standing a distance away from mother and son, "You know that your mother and I just wants what's best for you. If you think that this will really make you happy then…" 

Rukawa regarded his parents with understanding and tolerance. He had been at the receiving end of this conversation once too many over the past month. Being an only child could be a drag sometimes, he thought, but he knew that his parents meant well. His decision was not an easy one to make, and even more so when he had told them about it. But he HAD decided and he WILL go through with it. 

"Mom, Dad, you know that I love you guys and I do appreciate all these concern but there's no need." He tried reassuring them. But as he sensed that his mother was still a bit worried, Rukawa did what he had not done in years… He hugged her. "I love him, Mom. He is a part of my life now, a vital part." Pulling back, he stared seriously into eyes that were identical to his own, "I am going to do it! But I need to know that you are ok with it." 

Turning towards his father he asked, "Dad?" 

Hearing the pleading note in his son's voice, Shinji walked over to them and said, "Go. We give you our blessing." 

This time, the younger Rukawa did not even linger to hear what his mother was going to say. With one last hug to both his parents, he opened the door, grabbed the bag he had dropped on the floor and ran to his car, excitement was clearly written on his face. 

"Just look at him Naomi, smiling and vibrantly alive." Shinji casually told his wife as they watch their son get into his car. 

"Yes. I thought I would never see him like that again, not since Kaori died 6 years ago." Naomi remarked, sadly remembering the accident that took the life of her only daughter. "It broke his heart when his twin sister died and I was afraid that no one would be able to bring him out of his solitary shell." 

Shinji nodded, "Not until that boy came along." Hugging his wife, "He has changed a lot and we have Hanamichi to thank for that." 

"I just hope that he'll remain that way forever." Naomi prayed as she watched her only living child drive away. 

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As the blue-eyed Shohoku forward drove through the still almost empty streets of Kanagawa, he again reviewed the plan he had meticulously mapped out inside his head and prayed that it would be carried out as he had hoped. There was only one thing that could make it unsuccessful… his boyfriend's refusal. Not one to dwell on negative thoughts, he just pushed his foot hard on the accelerator and sped to his destination. 

Within minutes, he was already standing on the pavement that leads to the redhead's residence. Using the spare key Sakuragi had provided for him, he silently opened the door and trotted towards the bedroom. As he crossed the short distance towards the bed, Rukawa noticed that his boyfriend had not stirred from the position where he had left him last night. Smiling a little, he gently sat beside the sleeping figure and allowed himself a moment to stare at his beloved's face, reluctant to disturb the beautiful picture he made. 

Sakuragi was lying on his back wearing a fox pictured pajama, his lips was slightly parted, one arm outstretched – used as a pillow by a certain fox-eyed boy the night before – while his other just laid limp on his right. But the silent teenager didn't take much notice in that, instead, his sapphire eyes took in the peaceful and vulnerable expression of his boyfriend's face. Suddenly, a feeling of melancholy came over him as a memory of what his Hana told him about his childhood unexpectedly entered his mind. 

During the course of their "getting-to-know-each-other" phase, Rukawa was somewhat surprised to have found out that he was not the only one carrying a mask. Sakuragi had been without a mother since birth and being an only child, he was left to look after his sickly father and his own life alone. He had struggled, but he was able to survive because a grandmother that he didn't even know left him a small inheritance that could finance his education, and a small house just near enough from Shohoku. Then, his father had a stroke and poor Hanamichi was left an orphan when he was barely a teen. The effect of being alone at such a tender age made him wary of people and become reticent, that is, until a dark haired boy accidentally bumped into him one day and, along with three others, gave spark once again into his life. He soon became the life of any party; bubbly, carefree and always full of laughter. But there was still something missing, something that Youhei and the others knew they couldn't provide… LOVE. Even if he had his friends to support him, the people who seemed to care for him, he still needed that someone special, craved someone to love, and wanted someone to call his own. Just take into account the numerous times he had tried to find it, but failed. 

Until last year… _[Fate had thrown us together, and I am going to keep it that way.] _

With an expression of unmasked adoration for his sleeping redhead, Rukawa slowly traced the contour of his boyfriend's face with the back of his hand and whispered, "You will always have me Hanamichi." He vowed, and then leaned down to mark his promise with a kiss on the tempting parted lips. 

Just like snow white from the fairy tale… Sakuragi suddenly stirred and the first thing his brown eyes were able to focus on were the blue shining orbs which belonged to his surprisingly awaked and fully clothed kitsune. "Kaede…" He purred lovingly, wrapping his arms around the raven head's to pull him down for another kiss. "I love the way you wake me up Kitsune but… you could do better than that, right?" He teased, still half-asleep. 

Captivated, Rukawa complied. Seconds later, moans echoed around the room as their kiss turned passionate, and the couple would have stayed locked in each other's embrace if not for the clock's timely chime. With reluctance, Rukawa broke the kiss and murmured, "Was that better?" 

Still within a hair's breath away from each other's lips, the redhead grinned like mad and replied, "Much better." 

"Good." After he gave another searing kiss to his grinning boyfriend, Rukawa unwrapped the arms around his neck and said, "Now go take your bath, I am going to take you somewhere." Standing up, he hauled the redhead into a sitting position. 

Brows furrowed, brown eyes traveled over his gorgeous looking boyfriend and pointed, "Hey, that's not the clothes you wore yesterday." 

"That's because I already went home and then came back." Rukawa stated and then remembering the time, "Now hurry up!" He half-shouted to the still unmoving redhead. 

"When did you…?" The redhead trailed, then glanced at the clock behind him, "8:30 a.m.?! You mean to say you left late last night and came back this early?" He incredulously stammered as he watched the other took fresh clothes from his closet and handed them to him. 

"Yes. I want to be the first one you see on your birthday." He explained. Yanking the covers he ordered, "Now get your perfect butt in the shower." 

"But why?" 

Short of carrying him to the bathroom himself, Rukawa just kissed Sakuragi's forehead and replied, "Ask me later. I'll wait for you in the living room", then went outside before a still gaping redhead questions him endless. 

{Inside the living room} 

Checking his watch, "I still have enough time to make a few arrangements." He remarked. But before he could even reach for the telephone, the bedroom door opened and out popped Hana's head. 

"Get in the shower 'aho." 

The redhead scowled but it was soon replaced by a mischievous pout. "No, I won't. You have not greeted me yet." 

The dark haired teen rolled his eyes and sat on the couch, "I thought I already did." He casually remarked, resisting the urge to laugh when he saw the redhead's jaw dropped. 

Still clad in his cute pajamas, Sakuragi strolled to where his boyfriend was sitting and sat on his lap. "That was not a proper greeting kitsune. Don't you even have a romantic bone on your slim body?" He questioned, eyes downcast to where his hand was fondling a button of Rukawa's shirt. All of a sudden, arms went around him and he clung for dear life as he was carried effortlessly back in his bedroom. Upon reaching the bathroom, Rukawa kicked the door open and dropped him almost at once. "Kitsune!" 

The raven head silenced the irritated birthday boy with a quick kiss and said, "After you've showered and dressed, I'll show you my surprise." Then left hurriedly and returned to the living room, but not before hearing a loud, "It better be good Kaede." 

_[I hope so too Hana-kun] _

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{An hour later} 

A tall, pale and very handsome raven head was pacing the living room impatiently waiting for a certain birthday boy to make an appearance, _[What's taking him so long?] Unable to wait for another second, he was about to head towards the bedroom to drag his cute boyfriend, or carry him if he must, outside to his car when the phone suddenly rang. Half-startled and half-curious, Rukawa was about to answer the phone when the answering machine suddenly beeped and an annoyingly familiar voice sailed across the room. _

_"Good morning Hanamichi." He heard the caller cheerfully greeted. Rukawa resisted the urge to pick up the phone and slam it down hard till the caller's eardrums break. But he decided against it, instead, he clenched his fist and listened. _

_"I hope I didn't disturb your beauty sleep? Not that you're not beautiful already." Chuckling, "I know I know you hate being called beautiful." _

"Asshole!" Rukawa felt like smashing the huge smile, which he knows would be present in the ever-cheerful face of Sendoh. 

_"Anyway, I hope we are still going fishing this morning, you know, the usual." A pause, "Don't tell Rukawa. He might not let you come."_

"Rest assured that you'd be fishing alone today Sendoh" 

_"You owe me big for not telling me about him Hana. But don't worry. I'm a fair player and I don't give up that easy. Well, I'll see you later. I have a huge surprise for you. By the way… Happy Birthday Hana-kun." _

"Hana-kun?" He stammered and was rooted on the spot after he had heard the endearment. _[How close did they become anyway?] _

Rukawa was seeing red. He had thought that after they had let their relationship out in the open that Sendoh would stop his pursuit of his redhead. Boy was he wrong. He was still caught in his jealous rage when the bedroom door suddenly opened and out came his boyfriend who looked as beautiful as Sendoh had said him to be. "You won't have him Sendoh. I will never loose him to you." He vowed. Blue eyes glinted dangerously as they raked possessively over the redhead. 

Oblivious to his boyfriend's current demeanor, Sakuragi smiled and strolled towards him. "Was that Sendoh's voice I heard?" He queried, but Rukawa just stood and said nothing. Instinctively, his hand went to clasp his boyfriend's and asked, "What's wrong Kaede?" 

Rukawa still said nothing but when his cold gaze locked onto the warm loving brown ones of his beloved, his heart melted and his anger slowly ebbed away. Nothing in the redhead's expression told him that Sendoh was anything else but a friend; that cheery smile and that loving gaze were all for him. 

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he squeezed the hand that was clasped onto his and replied, "Yes. He was reminding you of your fishing date for today." Though his anger might have diminished considerably, his jealousy, however, have not and to his consternation, the redhead suddenly laughed out loud. 

"What's so funny 'aho?" 

Pointing to him, "You are! Just look at your flushed face. I can't believe you're still jealous of Akira." He said in between laughs. 

"Akira?" He choked. He did not like the sound of that name coming from his boyfriend's lips. "What's going on Hanamichi?" 

Sakuragi controlled his mirth and regarded his slowly getting angered kitsune with fondness. Cupping the pale and handsome face between his hands, "You don't need to be jealous of anyone Kaede. Sendoh is just a friend, a very good friend, that's all." Kissing the tip of Rukawa's nose, "But you look cute when you're all flushed and mad." He chuckled. 

Rukawa's heart fluttered and felt the weight of his jealousy lifted off his chest. Placing his hands over the ones holding his face, "He better be just a friend only Hanamichi or else…" He trailed. 

Nodding his head, "I understand Kitsune." Then, Sakuragi removed his hands and went to the machine to hit the rewind button. 

Blue eyes followed the movements and queried, "What are you doing?" 

"Checking Sendoh's message." 

The raven head scowled and snapped, "We don't have time for that Hana, we are late as it is." 

But the redhead was undeterred, "It'll just be a second. Besides, I don't want Sendoh thinking that I ignored his call or something like that. It might hurt his feelings you know." 

Irked by the caring attitude Sakuragi seemed to have acquired for Ryonan's ex-ace, "Suit yourself. I'm leaving." He parted, turning around in a motion to leave. 

That got his attention. Whirling around, "Where are you going?" 

Rukawa halted but did not turn, "Out! If you insist on wasting anymore time by calling him then… be my guest, I'm not staying." 

Shocked, "What?! What about my birthday? Aren't we supposed to spend it together?" 

Donning his cold mask, he turned and stared straight into honey brown eyes. "If you are so concerned about Sendoh then go spend your birthday with him. I hope you enjoy yourselves." With that, he turned and went for the door. 

Sakuragi was stunned. He couldn't believe that he had heard him right. Granted that he was trying to goad him earlier but not to the point that it would actually make him leave. He watched wide-eyed as Rukawa opened the door and felt something pricked his heart when he realized that his boyfriend was serious. "Kaede!" He called, the message in the answering machine totally forgotten. 

Rukawa stopped midway from stepping out of the door. His head hung low and his heart felt heavy. All of a sudden, arms were wrapped around him from behind, pulling him closer to the familiar expanse of chest he dearly loved to sleep and caress. "I'm sorry. Please don't leave. I don't want to spend my birthday with anybody else besides you. Don't you?" Rukawa heard the doubt in the question and felt a jolt of guilt pierce his heart. Gently, he wriggled out from the embrace, enough for him to turn and his heart ached when he looked straight into misty brown eyes. 

Shutting the door from behind, Rukawa led the redhead back to the couch while he knelt on the floor in between his boyfriend's legs. Entwining their hands together, the raven head brought one to his lips and said. "I'm sorry Hana. I didn't mean to make you sad on your birthday." Freeing one of his hands, he gently wiped the tear that trickled down his face. "Please don't cry. I can't bear to see you cry." He implored while his face was a mask of contrition and sadness. Then suddenly, he stood up and said to the surprised redhead, "Wait for me here." 

A few minutes later, Rukawa came back and was carrying something in his hand. Resuming his position, he gave the black box with a red ribbon to Hana and said, "I was suppose to give this to you later but…" squeezing the hand that was holding the gift, "… I want to give this to you now." 

Sakuragi saw the seriousness in his blue eyes and couldn't help but feel nervous all of a sudden. Calming his shaky nerves, he slowly opened the box and felt his breath caught in his throat as he stared in disbelief. At a loss of what to do, he gazed up and met a pair of sparklingly blue eyes watching him intently. "Kaede…" he tried to start and say something but Rukawa shook his head. 

"Hear me out first." 

Rukawa took the box from him and released one ring from its clasp. "I had this ring made last month." He smiled when he saw the surprised expression on Hana's face and continued. "The designer assigned to me was rather confused by the pattern that I want crafted for this gold band. But after a few hours of sketching and explaining… we both agreed on this plain and simple design." Keeping his eyes onto the brown ones of his boyfriend, Rukawa lifted the ring till eye level and said, "Each ring has a rounded high polish band etched all the way around with two unending circles and is complemented by a gently flowing line that links the two. You know what that means Hanamichi?" He seductively asked the silent redhead. Seeing a shake from that crimson head, he continued, "The two unending circles are the two of us; the flowing line that links the two represents the bond that holds us both together… LOVE; and I chose a pure gold band to make it… unchanging." He ended, watching his boyfriend's expression of wonder. 

Speechless, brown eyes could only stare. Sakuragi had never felt so… he couldn't find the correct words to even describe how he felt. All he did know was that, Rukawa had seldom showed a sense of romanticism to him, and when he did, it never failed to elicit the same response from him… utmost happiness. Fresh tears gathered around his eyes and he tried to stifle them but his boyfriend noticed it. 

Smiling that now trademark sweet smile of his, Rukawa brushed back the tears that were starting to fall from his boyfriend's eyes and handed him the ring before saying, "Read the inscription at the back." 

Doing as he was told, Sakuragi squinted an eye and read the carved words at the back, "Kaede and Hanamichi, Till Eternity." The last words were said softly as his breath was suddenly caught in his throat. 

Still knelt on the floor, Rukawa leveled his gaze to Sakuragi and in all seriousness said, "I love you Hanamichi Sakuragi, would you… would you do the honor of marrying me?" He announced and then waited pensively for the answer that could either make or break him. Then, without warning, the full weight of the redhead was suddenly flung onto him and both of them went crashing to the floor. Feathery kisses were being rained on his face and around his neck, all the while his boyfriend was chanting, "Yes… yes… yes…" 

Finally, Rukawa could dispel the last fear that was plaguing him all month. It was a huge risk and he knew it. Matching the happiness that was being showed to him by his 'fiancée', he sought to cup the wandering face between his hands and kissed the redhead for all the love that he's worth. Eons later, the couple parted in need of air but still remained gazing at each other, the love that both felt was mirrored in their eyes. 

"Happy Birthday Hana-kun. I hope you liked my gift." 

Sakuragi smiled down and replied, "I do Kaede. I do." He answered, rubbing their noses together affectionately. 

Chuckling, "Now… could you get off me? Or do you want an incapacitated husband?" 

As if noticing their position for the first time, the redhead blushed beet red and gasped, "oh." And then he stood up and extended his hand to help the slightly shorter guy to his feet. As he was dusting off his shirt, Sakuragi suddenly remembered something that he had in his hand before he flung himself on his boyfriend. "Oh no! Where's the ring?" He cried as he searched frantically for the round object. 

"Here. You think I'd let a clumsy oaf like you loose something as precious as this?" Rukawa remarked, holding the ring that had miraculously landed on his palm when Sakuragi dropped it. 

Sakuragi breathed a sigh of relief and grinned sheepishly. "Phew, I thought it was gone. What would you have done if I have lost it? Call off the wedding?" He teased and laughed hard when he saw the horrified expression on Rukawa's face. 

"Do'aho!" 

Stopping short, "Hey, is that a way to call your future-husband-to-be? I would make a great husband you know." He boasted. 

With a shake of his head, Rukawa went beside his boyfriend and slipped the ring onto his wedding finger. "There, a perfect fit. You won't loose it now." 

Still caught in the sheer of beauty of the ring, Sakuragi touched it once more just to make sure it was real. "But Kaede, aren't we suppose to wear the rings while we are getting married?" He inquired. 

Shrugging, "We could just let them see that we're already wearing the rings." Wrapping his arms around the redhead's waist, "Besides, I already felt married to you the moment you said yes." 

"Hmm…" Careful not to loose much contact from his beloved, Sakuragi reached for the box on the couch and fumbled for a while before he was able to remove the second ring from its constraints. "In that case… with this ring, I thee wed Kaede Rukawa, to have and to hold, on this day forward, for better or worse, till…" He stopped, hindered by a finger placed on his lips. 

Rukawa's sapphire eyes were solemn when he said, "Till eternity Hanamichi." 

Brown eyes shone in agreement, "Till eternity Kaede," and pushed the ring fully onto his kitsune's wedding finger. "There, the rings are truly beautiful." He remarked, entwining their hands together. 

Rukawa snorted and said, "Do you think I would choose something that was less than beautiful 'aho?" 

"Kitsune! You are ruining a romantic mood here." He whined. 

Before Rukawa could even answer, his mobile phone rang. Removing his hand from the redhead's waist, he answered, "Hello? Oh hi dad… no we haven't left yet… Hana's a born turtle." Rukawa quickly distanced himself away from Sakuragi when the latter made a grab for the phone. "… yeah I know, we are on our way." Then Rukawa hang up. 

"What was that all about?" 

Rukawa pocketed his phone and grabbed one of the redhead's hand in his, "Come on, we are already running late. Mom and Dad are waiting for us at home." 

Stupefied, "WHAT?!" 

"…" 

Sakuragi would have badgered Rukawa endless till he saw their mode of transportation. "You're driving? Don't you remember the last time you drove? You almost ran over someone because you fell asleep behind the wheel!" 

"Shut up and get in. There's no worry of that happening again. Besides you're here to keep me awake." He stated, already turning the ignition. But as he saw the redhead was still standing on the pavement, "Hana, we don't have all day. Get in." 

Sighing in resignation, "Ok, but I am only doing this because I don't want to be visiting you in a hospital anytime soon." 

Rukawa smiled inwardly, hiding his triumph. 

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To be continued…  
  
Additional Note: The description of the ring is slightly taken from a site where made to order rings are accepted and the ring does exists.. If the designer or the manufacturer of the ring have any by stroke of luck read this, I hope he/she/they won't be offended if I used it -- sort of. Anyway, I hope I did justice with the description. I know I should have used my imagination but real pictures are better than imagination ne?  
  
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Honestly... your comments and criticisms are welcome.. and as always if you need something to say that you don't want to post -- there's always email.


	2. A Heart Warming Gift

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PART 02: A HEART WARMING GIFT 

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{At Danny's} 

Three figures were sitting by the window with mobile phones stuck in their ears when a dark haired young man suddenly came up to them and said, "Change of plans. We have to go somewhere first." 

"What do you mean? We can't just get up and leave. We're not yet finished." Noma complained. 

"Yeah, at the rate we are going we'll never finish this in time." Ookusu added. 

"Why should we change venue anyway?" 

But Mito just laughed and said, "Our problems are solved. Guess who I brought to help." 

"Hikoichi!" All three chirped when they saw the short snoop of Ryonan High. 

"Hello." He waved. "Mito-san had already filled me in. Don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure everything's ok by this afternoon." 

"Well if that's the case. Let's go." The shortest of Sakuragi's Gundan cheerfully declared and handed the mobile phone to Hikoichi. Ookusu and Noma followed suit. Soon all four were outside Danny's but three were gaping. 

"Whose car is this?" Noma asked. 

"Rukawa's" Mito supplied. But his three friends' still had that inquisitive expressions on their faces thus he just said, "Don't ask me. Rukawa called me earlier just to say that a car will be picking us up." 

"That's it?" 

"Why? You expect me to chitchat with mister monosyllabic himself? No way!" Mito exclaimed. 

"This day is getting weirder by the minute. First we have to change venue for Hanamichi's birthday and now this?" 

"Stop complaining Yuji. You weren't the one wakened early in the morning by two irritating guys just because of birthday boy." Mito reproached. "Now get in. The sooner we know what the fox wants with us the sooner I'll feel better." 

"You think it's something about Hanamichi?" Noma questioned with a hint of concern. 

"We'll soon find out." Was all Mito could say. 

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{Rukawa Manor) 

Two tall figures alighted from the blue sports car and went hurriedly into the living room. Seeing no one, Rukawa searched for his parents and was glad to see that they had the solarium prepared for their arrival. 

Dragging the protesting redhead, "Mom, look who I brought with me." 

Naomi Rukawa looked sideways from inspecting a flower nearing its bloom and her aquamarine eyes shone when she saw her son's companion. "Hanamichi, happy birthday my dear boy." She happily greeted, kissing each side of Hana's cheeks. 

The redhead blushed for the sweet welcome. "Thank you Ma'm." 

An eyebrow rose at such a formal address but before she could comment, her son asked to be excused to look for his father. Left alone with the nervous redhead, Naomi wasted no time in learning more about his future son-in-law and was soon caught in the same web as her son. Whatever worries she might have had about her son's union with the redhead soon dissolved into nothing. 

When father and son made an appearance, Rukawa was glad to find his boyfriend at ease and at home chatting with his mother. He was about to go over to him when his father suddenly clamped a hand onto his shoulder and motioned for him to wait. 

"Hello Hanamichi, nice to see you again." Shinji Rukawa greeted, extending his hand. 

"Nice to see you too sir." Sakuragi replied, accepting the outstretched hand. 

"Sir?" Shinji questioned and looked over to his grinning wife. 

"He still calls me Ma'm." Naomi teasingly added. 

Brown eyes moved back and forth from the two imposing Rukawa's. "Did I say something wrong?" 

Naomi laughed and casually placed a hand over Hana's shoulder, "I think you should stop addressing us formally Hanamichi." 

Confused, "Er… what would you prefer me to call you then?" Sakuragi asked, and thought he couldn't very well call them Mr. And Mrs. Rukawa, it would be totally weird not to mention awkward. _[Where's Kaede when I need him anyway? I'm not used to being this prim and proper.] "How about Mom and Dad?" A deep somber voice he knew too well suddenly suggested. _

Taking pity over his beloved's obvious discomfort, Rukawa quickly went to his side and lifted their hands together, showing his parents the rings that adorned their fingers. "He accepted my proposal." He proudly announced to his parents. 

Naomi beamed and went to hug her son, "I am so happy for you Kaede." Turning towards the bashful redhead, she said, "Welcome to the family Hanamichi. Now I have two sons." Then she enveloped the redhead in a tight hug similar to the one she bestowed on her own son. 

"And you have no other choice but to call us Mom and Dad now Hanamichi." Shinji interjected, beaming like his wife and was patting the redhead on his back. 

"Master Kaede, your guests have just arrived." The butler announced. 

Rukawa tore his gaze away from the trio and said, "Good. Show them in." 

Naomi and Shinji broke away from Hanamichi and exchanged glances. "Are they the ones Kaede?" Shinji asked. 

Rukawa nodded. Before Sakuragi could even open his mouth to speak, four figures suddenly appeared from the solarium's doorway and exclaimed, "Hanamichi!" 

"Guys, what are you doing?" 

"Whoah!!! This is one huge greenhouse you got here Rukawa!" Takamiya exclaimed, roaming his eyes over the expanse of the solarium. 

"Welcome, come in, come in." Shinji invited. 

"This is the largest part of the estate and my personal haven." Naomi proudly beamed. "It's slowly becoming Kaede's as well but because of a totally different reason." She smiled knowingly at her son who was trying to hold on to an excited redhead. 

"I thought you guys have forgotten my birthday." Sakuragi adorably pouted. 

"No way! We have a surprise for you later, but for now… Rukawa invited us over, that's why we're here." Mito explained. 

"Really?" Brown eyes turned questioningly to the silent guy beside him but only got a nod since Rukawa was already ushering them into the middle of the solarium where a wooden round table, laden with food and drinks, was shaded by a huge sakura tree. Sakuragi stopped short and his question was temporary forgotten; something about the setup triggered his memory and he immediately turned to face a grinning Rukawa, much to the surprise of Sakuragi's Gundan. "Kitsune this is…" 

"Just like last year." Rukawa finished for him. 

Sakuragi turned his face away and closed his eyes, remembering that fateful day when his feelings for a certain fox-eyed boy had changed dramatically. Last year, his friends had coerced him into going to Kyoto with a promise that it would be his best birthday celebration, ever. Not one to pass such an opportunity, he complied; little did he know that their idea of a celebration was for him to be locked, for a whole day, with someone he wouldn't even dream of spending it with. His companion was not equally happy with the setup and they were at each other's throats in no time. But after half a day, Rukawa had surprisingly called a truce. Left with nothing else to do, he was surprised to have found himself chatting with his rival quite amicably and he soon felt at ease to talk about their so-called differences. Only then did he found out that the 'hatred' between the two of them was just one-sided, his. That night, after they were able to get out of the room, he had agreed to accompany Rukawa to the Heian Shrine, where there was a nighttime concert every year around the lake to celebrate Hanami (Sakura viewing festival). He was totally caught in the sheer beauty of his surroundings that he didn't even mind that his companion was not Haruko, like he would have thought he wanted, but Rukawa himself, and later, he did not even object when his companion suddenly took his hand into his as they sat under a huge sakura tree, taking in the beautiful lit-up blossoms to the accompaniment of the soft music made by the band. That night had been magical and was a huge turning point in his life. As he opened his eyes, Sakuragi was not the least bit surprised when he saw his happiness and contentment mirrored in his boyfriend's usually impassive face. Unmindful of the people around him, he strolled to his fox-eyed boyfriend and buried his face on the crook of his neck to whisper, "I love you Kaede." 

Rukawa smiled and wrapped his arms around him. Kissing the side of his neck, he softly whispered, "I couldn't give you Kyoto Hana but… I hope you liked my alternative." 

Lifting his head to meet the loving blue gaze, "Very much, thank you." He whispered back and was already closing his eyes to meet his kitsune's kiss when… 

"Get yourselves a room!" Ookusu and Noma exclaimed. 

The couple broke apart and was blushing really hard. Mito had to stifle a laugh when he saw the normally pale-faced Rukawa actually blushed and goaded Takamiya to take pictures. 

Sharing the younger generation's mirth, Shinji went to his son and said, "Kaede, I think it's time we get to Hanamichi's pre-birthday party. We wouldn't want him to miss his real party, don't we?" 

"Pre-birthday party?" Sakuragi piped. 

Naomi clasped her hand onto Hanamichi's arm and led the redhead towards the wooden table. "This is your pre-birthday party, Hanamichi. Kaede had arranged all this so you could spend the morning celebrating your birthday with us. We requested it." 

Glancing towards his still standing boyfriend, "You did?" Seeing a nod, he smiled, but then, "What about them?" He asked, pointing towards his friends. 

"Kaede insisted that they be here because they were the ones responsible for bringing you two together." Shinji answered for his son who was already talking to the butler. 

"And if it weren't for their practical joke then the two of you would not even be engaged right now, right?" Naomi ended happily. 

Sakuragi thought for a while, "I guess," and then was startled when he heard all four of his friends chimed… "ENGAGED?" Now it was his turn to grin, "Yup!" He affirmed, showing them the ring, which was hastily bombarded with pictures by Takamiya and questions from the other three. 

"When's the wedding going to be?" Ookusu excitedly questioned. 

"Wow, we just found out yesterday that he's your secret boyfriend and now your engaged?" Noma couldn't help but ask. 

"Who cares as long as Hanamichi's happy." Mito clipped and was basically glad for his friend who was just oozing with happiness right at that moment. 

Though reluctant to break the small group of happy chatters, Rukawa dispersed the small crowd gathered around his giggling redhead and signaled for the butler to start the party. Soon, soft music filled the room and echoed around the solarium as the small party for the redhead went underway. 

Rukawa's parents were a gracious host and made the conversation flow around the table without anyone feeling anything less than comfortable. Youhei and the others were soon feeling quite at home while Takamiya and Sakuragi were having the time of their lives as batch per batch of food was being served. Rukawa, on the other hand, just nibbled on each food while his gaze kept returning to the jubilant redhead beside him, his face, stripped off of any mask, thus it was left open and clear for anyone to read. 

Mito had never actually liked the monosyllabic guy and had his doubts about their friend's welfare with the silent Shohoku basketball player. But his doubts were slowly being pacified with just one look at the fox-eyed boy's unguarded features. Gone was the hard and cold looking basketball centered raven head and in his place was a smiling and carefree looking Kaede Rukawa whose shining sapphire eyes showed nothing but adoration for the person beside him. _[Boy would his fan club have a field day if they ever see this side of him], he thought. _

"What's the matter Youhei? You almost haven't eaten anything?" Sakuragi asked his friend who was looking rather thoughtful throughout the course. 

Mito just smiled at him and said, "I was just thinking. Don't worry about me. You can have my share if you want?" He offered and shoved his half-full plate over to him. 

The boyish face lit up in enthusiasm and accepted the offered plate only to have a pale hand taking it away from him. "Kitsune?" Rukawa's face was turned sideways from him but the unmistakable twitch of the lips did not escape his notice. "It's just Youhei, Kaede." 

Rukawa did not turn to look at the redhead; instead he exchanged Youhei's plate for his and handed it to the guy beside him. "Here have mine but don't overstuff yourself, I don't want you turning into a cow." 

Sakuragi silently accepted the plate and resisted the urge to question him about the sudden change in attitude. _[I'll just have to talk to him about it when we're alone.] _

"Hey Youhei, you better watch it. I think the fox is jealous of you." Noma whispered to his dark haired friend whose attention was focused on the couple in front of him. 

Mito did not need to be told of the raven head's obvious reaction, but he was rather taken aback with the quick shift in his attitude. It was like a light switch being turned on and off. He would rather have the usual cold brush off from him rather than the piercing cold blue gaze that could freeze anyone on the spot. He resisted the urge to stand up and was silently thankful when their hostess suddenly suggested that they retire to the lounge for coffee, tea or wine. But he politely declined in behalf of his friends and said that they still have their own party to go to. 

"I don't think I can eat anymore Youhei." Sakuragi groaned. 

"That's because you ate so much." The yellow haired teen admonished. 

"Shut up! You know how I hate wasting good food." The redhead hissed. 

"Yeah, we know. You even wanted to clean Youhei's plate." Noma reminded him and laughed along with his friends. 

Getting embarrassed by his friends' teasing, Sakuragi was almost tempted to deliver a head butt on each forehead but couldn't very well do so in the presence of his boyfriend's parents. Frustrated, he just resorted to glaring and stomping his foot in a pretense that he was killing a bug or something. 

Rukawa silently heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Come on Hana. You still have a party to go to." 

"What do you mean _'**you'? Aren't you coming?" **_

"I will but a little later. I have to accompany Mom and Dad to the airport, they're leaving today for L.A." Rukawa replied, already leading the small group towards the living room. 

"But…" 

Rukawa stopped and pulled the redhead away from the others. "Hana, I'll just be a little late, I promise that I'll be there." 

Head bent to inspect something on the floor, "Can't we just go together?" 

The raven head sighed and lifted the crimson head to level their gazes, "It's your birthday party. You can't be late just because I'm not there." 

"But…" 

Rukawa silenced him by a shake of his head, "You're going with Mito. They're your friends Hana; I think they're entitled to have you all for themselves without me." 

"By the time the party ends we won't have enough time to celebrate it alone!" Sakuragi cried. 

The raven head caressed the forlorn looking face with a finger and said, "I promise that we'll have time to celebrate it together, just the two of us." 

Brown eyes looked deep into aquamarine colored eyes and sighed in resignation, "Ok. But remember, you promised." Seeing a nod, "I'll wait for you then." 

When they rejoined the others, Sakuragi learned that his friends were already waiting outside. With a bow, he respectfully thanked the Rukawa's for their hospitality and for the warm welcome they have shown him, which Shinji replied with, "No need to thank us Hanamichi, we're almost family." 

The redhead smiled but said nothing, every time the Rukawa's made a mention of him being included in the family seemed to have made him tongue-tied. It's not that the thought of being wed to his one and only love was not a dream come true but, the thought of being included in such an imposing family was rather overwhelming for him. 

Suddenly… 

"Oi, Hanamichi, your birthday party won't be waiting all day you know." Mito's voice carried all the way inside the living room which made Sakuragi blush in embarrassment. 

After giving an apology for his friend's rudeness, he again bowed his head and bade them goodbye, but before he could even lift a foot… 

"Hanamichi, before you leave, could you come to the library with us?" 

Before he could even answer, Naomi was already hooking her hand on his arm and was already leading him to the library. Feeling nervous all of a sudden, he threw a glance over his shoulder in silent plea for his boyfriend to follow but Shinji stopped his son and said, "We need to talk to Hanamichi alone Kaede. Go tell his friends that he'll be out in a minute." With that, Shinji went to follow his wife and left the younger Rukawa to ponder over his parents' intentions. 

************************************************* 

{Inside the library} 

Sakuragi sat nervously on one of the high oak chairs and waited till Rukawa's father handed him a small box. 

"We want to give you this Hanamichi. Consider this an engagement as well as birthday gift from us." Shinji said and handed the small box to the redhead. 

Sakuragi gulped and opened the box. Inside was a set of keys on two separate key chains. He lifted one up and found that the key chains had his and Kaede's name carved on it. Puzzled, "What's this for?" 

"It's a key to a condo that we bought for you and Kaede." 

"WHAT?" He couldn't believe that he had heard her right. _[A condo? Is she serious?] But the look on both their faces told him that he had heard her right. That left him with one other question, "Why?" _

"Like my husband said, we want to give you something and this is our way of thanking you." 

"Thanking me for what?" He didn't care if he sounded bothered about the gift because he was. 

Both Naomi and Shinji looked taken aback by the sudden outburst but a look of understanding passed between the two after a short while. Naomi went over to the redhead and sat in front of him, clasping one hand on hers, "It's a thank you for bringing happiness back into our son's life. We're sorry if we have taken you by surprise but please do accept it." She implored. 

In a small voice he asked, "Does Kaede know about this?" 

Naomi removed her hand and sat straight before looking straight into his eyes. "No." 

He was silent for a while as if pondering over something. Closing the box, he handed it over to Rukawa's mother and dolefully said. "I'm sorry, but I just can't accept such a gift from you." 

"Why?" Shinji asked in a voice that held a hint of that hard tone like that of his son when irked. 

Sakuragi stood up and faced the imposing figure of Rukawa's father. "Because I am not made that way. If you want me to keep your son happy then please let me do it my way." Turning to the lady of the house, "I know that you meant well and I thank you for thinking about our welfare but I would rather you give us your blessings and trust me to take good care of your son." 

"But where would you guys live when you do get married?" 

Sakuragi genuinely smiled at the note of motherly concern on Naomi's voice, "I have a house which my grandmother left me, it may not be as huge and as grand as this but I'll make sure that Kaede will be happy there." Brown eyes turned solemn as they stared straight into eyes that were like a mirror of Kaede's, "I love your son, Ma'm. I truly do. I will not intentionally do anything that would cause him or you pain. Please believe that." 

Silence filled the library as the Rukawa's studied the teen in front of them. He may be young but the manner in which he stood up for his principles made Shinji Rukawa feel proud of his son's choice. Though he felt that his wife might still have misgivings, he knew that they could entrust their son's well being to Sakuragi. With that, Shinji pocketed the small box and said, "Well Hanamichi, I guess you won this round of 'future' Rukawa arguments, but don't be too confident in thinking you'd be winning the next rounds as well." 

After hearing that, Sakuragi was able to breathe a sigh of relief and actually felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, but anyway, thank you… Mom… Dad?" Taking note of the raised eyebrows, "See I let you win that round." He joked and happily received the hug from his future in-laws. 

"How about we go back to the living room? Knowing your boyfriend, I think he's about to come barging in and demanding an explanation." Naomi remarked, brushing the wetness from her eyes. 

************************************************* 

{Outside the living room} 

A scowling Rukawa greeted the trio and Naomi threw Sakuragi a look that says, 'I told you so'. The redhead laughed and kissed both sides of Naomi's cheeks and shook Shinji's hands before strolling towards his shocked looking boyfriend. "Don't forget your promise Kaede. I'll wait for you ok?" After he gave his boyfriend a quick kiss, he bade the whole Rukawa clan goodbye and went to meet his friends. 

"What took you so long? We would be late for your party." Mito chastised. 

"I'm sorry Youhei but Kaede's parents wanted to give me something for my birthday." 

"Which is…" 

"I'll tell you on the way. Now get in, I thought you said we're late already." He admonished but stopped short when he saw the car. "Whose car is this?" 

"Rukawa's. Do you know anyone else who is as rich as your boyfriend?" Mito asked as he was opening the side door. 

"I hope none anymore. I got my fill of rich people today that could last me a lifetime." Sakuragi sighed as he got in the mini-limousine. 

************************************************* 

{At the threshold of the driveway} 

"That's one fine lad you got there son. Cherish him well. You might not find anyone else like him." Shinji told his son as they watch the mini-limousine disappear from their view. 

_[I intend to] "What did you guys do in the library?" Rukawa inquired, still piqued of being left in the dark. _

Shinji led his son inside the house and said, "Your mother and I will tell you on our way to the airport. Now go ask the driver to prepare our car, I know you're anxious to join your redhead." 

Rukawa blushed, but threw a glare at his father before stomping off in the direction of the garage. 

************************************************* 

To be continued....

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Comments and Reviews are very much welcomed... thank you to those who have read it


	3. A Gift of Acceptance

************************************************* 

PART 03: A Gift of Acceptance 

************************************************* 

"Are we there yet?" 

"No" 

"Are we there yet?" 

"No" 

"Are we there yet?" 

"No" 

"Are we there yet?" 

"No" 

"Are we there yet?" 

Before Mito could answer that irritatingly repeating question, the other three member of Sakuragi's Gundan suddenly chorused, "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?" 

Mito just sighed and leaned his head against the window. "Blame it on birthday boy for having too many sweets over his boyfriend's house to make him hyper like that." He said, pointing to the redhead sitting in front of him who just stuck out his tongue as a form of an answer. 

Shaking his head, "Gosh Hanamichi, no one would believe that you're 17 if you keep on acting like that." Ookusu scolded, sitting between Takamiya and Mito. 

"Yeah, I wonder what Rukawa sees in you anyway." Takamiya added but his comment earned him a quick head butt. 

"Never ever question the kitsune's taste." Sakuragi jokingly chastised then added, "I am quite a catch you know and kitsune should be honored to have a tensai as his mate." He beamed then laughed his trademark Hanamichi Sakuragi laugh. 

"Yeah right, I would rather catch a cold than catch someone like you." Ookusu mumbled. 

"You're forgetting that Rukawa is Mr. Freeze himself that's why he caught Hanamichi instead." Mito stated impassively which nearly made the birthday boy jump him if not for Noma's timely hold on the redhead's arm. 

"Why didn't he join us anyway?" Noma questioned. 

Thinking against rendering a head injury to his best friend for his comment, Sakuragi opted to play with the window that Mito was leaning against, making it go up and down as he replied, "He's seeing his parents off at the airport but he promised to be there later." 

"Oh, does he…" 

"Will you quit doing that?" Mito suddenly scolded, interrupting Noma in the process. 

Sakuragi stopped but cried, "I'm bored to my wits Youhei! How far is it?" 

"I don't know." Was the clipped reply. 

"WHAT?" All four chimed together. 

"You mean you don't even know where this car is taking us?" 

Eyeing his mustached friend, "No. I just gave the address to Rukawa's driver and asked if he knows the place and he answered that he does." 

"Where are we going anyway?" 

"Will you be patient? It's supposed to be a surprise and it won't be if you keep on badgering me. Now shut up!" He rebuked in a tone that brooked no argument or objection. 

Recognizing that, Ookusu, Takamiya and Noma continued playing cards while Sakuragi pursed his lips and threw his best friend a baleful glare before burrowing deeper on his seat and pouted in silence. 

After a few minutes … "So what did Rukawa's parents give you anyway?" Mito inquired out of curiosity. 

Still pouting, the birthday boy curtly replied, "A condo." 

"A CONDO?" 

"Want me to spell it out for you?" 

"Stop being such a baby Hanamichi. Now why would they give you a condo and did you accept it?" 

Sporting a sullen expression, the redhead turned his face away from Mito and looked out the window. "They just wanted to be sure that Rukawa and I will have a place to live and be well taken care of. Guess they were worried about their son's welfare with a nobody like me." 

Mito regarded his friend and did not fail to notice the flicker of sadness that crossed his face. "You are not a 'nobody' Hanamichi. Stop selling yourself short. Rukawa loves you, that is the only fact that you need to put inside your head." 

"Yeah he does but sometimes I wonder if I could fit in his life. Just look at how he lives Youhei! Maids, butlers, fancy cars, a huge house and just look at him…" 

"As if that really concerns you." He interjected and then, "Anyway, have you told Rukawa about how you feel?" 

"No. But I think he knows. There's this one time when he brought me to a fancy restaurant, it was just dinner but the place just overwhelmed me and I couldn't eat." 

"That's a first." 

"Yeah it was, guess that was his cue that I was not being myself so without even asking me, he immediately signaled for the bill and we went to Danny's instead. Ever since that time he never takes me anywhere till he ask me first if it's okay with me." 

Mito silently thanked the blue-eyed fox and smiled at his friend. "You shouldn't feel worried if that's how Rukawa treats you. Besides Rukawa's parents seemed to really like you." 

The redhead's expression softened as he remembered the warm way Rukawa's parents had accepted him. Turning to face his friend, "Can you blame them? I'm just lovable you know." He boasted then grinned. 

Mito had to laugh at that. "Now that's the Hanamichi that I know." He said then the two shared a laugh that resounded inside the car. After a while, "So, I assumed that you didn't accept the condo right?" 

The redhead nodded his head and said, "You know me too well Youhei." 

************************************************* 

"Stupid car phone." The raven-haired teen grumbled for like the nth time. 

"Still can't get through honey?" 

"No." _[The stupid connection just can't get through.] _

"I guess your son just couldn't let a minute pass without even talking to that boyfriend of his." Shinji remarked to his wife while reading the New York Times on their way to the airport. 

"Hmnn… I wonder who he got it from?" 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"What I meant was, I wondered where Kaede inherited that trait from?" 

Wide-eyed, "Not from me." 

Naomi smiled at her husband and clasped her hand into his. "No need to deny your sweet side darling. You were exactly the same as Kaede when you were courting me and even worst when we got married. My friends had often remarked how jealously possessive you were and still are for that matter." She chided and watched in amusement at her husband's mortified expression. 

"Stop saying nonsense Naomi." Shinji rebuked but his wife only giggled like a schoolgirl and huddled even closer to him. 

The younger Rukawa shifted his position in the front seat and covered his left ear so he could tune out his parents' conversation. His mother's comment made him quite uncomfortable and it didn't help that he knew it to be true. Sighing, _[Jealous and possessive, yeah that's me all right. Though I hope Hana would accept it like mom did.] He thought and started dialing the mini-limousine's car phone. _

_[Busy again] "Damn it! I should have bought him a mobile phone." He exclaimed, unconsciously voicing out his frustration. _

Still huddled close to her husband, Naomi said, "I don't think Hanamichi would have accepted it if you do Kaede. That boyfriend of yours is proud and he would be mad at you instead of thanking you for it." 

"Your mother is right. You should have seen his face when we offered a condo as a birthday gift for him." 

Whirling around to stare at his parents, "WHAT? Why did you do that for?" 

Seeing the apprehensive expression on his son's face, he told him what had happened inside the library and when he was finished… "So you see, there's nothing to be worried about Kaede." 

But Rukawa was not convinced until he had talked to Hanamichi about it, thus the need to contact him grew even more. Cursing inwardly, he dialed the number again and willed it to ring. Someone above must have heard his silent plea because the other line was suddenly answered. 

_"Hello?" _

"Pass the phone to Hanamichi!" 

_"Hello?" _

"Hana?" 

_"Kaede?" _

Rukawa breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing his beloved's voice. "Where are you?" 

_"I don't know. Your driver knows the address. Better ask him before we hang up or you'll not know where to find me." _

"I will. But I need to ask you something." 

_"What? Now?" _

"Yeah." 

_"I just left your house. Couldn't you have asked me then?" _

"Shut up and listen will you?" 

_"Okay. What is it?" _

"Will it be okay if I take you somewhere tonight? Just the two of us?" 

A pause on the other line and then… 

_"Nothing fancy Kaede." _

"No it won't be. Promise. It'll just be the two of us and we'll have fun." 

_"Fun? I would love that. Can't wait till tonight." _

Rukawa could only imagine the twinkle in those expressive brown eyes and felt warm all over. "Yeah me too." 

_"You called just to ask me that?" _

Rukawa could feel a blush creeping on his face at the teasing tone of his redhead. "er… kind of. Anyway, see you later ok?" 

_"Ok. Bye." _

"No wait! There's something else." 

_"What?" _

"How did you feel when my parents offered you the condo?" 

Another long pause, but this one had Rukawa waiting breathlessly till he could hear his beloved's voice on the other line. 

_"I can't honestly tell you right now but… Let's just say that you have a lot of making up to do tonight." _

Rukawa almost coughed from the seductive tone his redhead had used on him and he was really blushing at that moment, especially since he could feel his parents' ardent stare burning at the back if his neck. "Do'aho" He affectionately whispered and was about to say something when he suddenly heard someone other than his boyfriend saying, _'Hey Hanamichi we're here.' _

And then… 

_"Hey Kitsune I gotta go. See you later. Bye." _

And before he could even finish… "Hana… I…" the line suddenly went dead. 

After hanging up, Rukawa just stared at the phone he was holding as if trying to feel Hana's presence with it. _[Idiot. He's with his friends and here you are moping and feeling jealous that he's with them instead of with you.] His mind scolded. Then suddenly… __[Damn! I forgot to ask for the address.] "Stupid!" _

"Anything wrong honey?" 

Rukawa immediately schooled himself and answered, "Nothing mom." 

"Now that you have talked with Hanamichi, I think that we could start discussing about your future son. Your mother and I were thinking that…" 

Rukawa let his father chat away but he was not listening anymore. His mind was focused on understanding the sudden feeling of need to be Hanamichi rather than miles from him. 

_[Why am I feeling scared all of a sudden?] He wondered, unconsciously fingering the sole jewelry adorning his finger as they drove towards the airport. _

************************************************* 

"What are we doing here Youhei?" The redhead asked for the 3rd time, as no one seemed to want to ring the doorbell. They just stood there and stared at the huge mansion. 

"Are you sure this is the correct address?" 

Mito gave Noma a sheet of paper and said, "You read it and tell me if we are in the wrong place." 

Noma scanned the paper and looked at the address carved on the mailbox. "It's the same." 

"So this is the change of venue?" Takamiya asked. 

"Seems like it." 

"Change of venue? You mean this is not where the party is supposed to be?" Sakuragi asked, curious all of a sudden. "Are you hiding something from me Youhei?" 

Mito wisely backed away, "I am not hiding anything! It was not my idea to change venue." He cried and then pointed an accusing finger at his redheaded friend, "It's your fault to have two stupid rich guys after you." 

The redhead was slightly taken aback by the accusation and squeaked, "My fault? Why? Whose house is this anyway?" 

"Sendoh's" 

"WHAT?" He thundered and then, "Why didn't you say something earlier?" He questioned, making a sudden grab of his friend's collar. 

"What would you have me do? Let Rukawa know that we would be having the party over at Sendoh's?" He argued and freed himself from Hanamichi's grip. 

"Nice idea Youhei." Noma remarked, chuckling a little. 

"Yeah, expect lots of food and I bet it will really be a blast." Ookusu added with mirth and was regarding the huge house with shining eyes. 

"It was not my idea!" Mito denied vehemently, stomping his foot in frustration. "Sendoh called me earlier and kind of coerced me into it. He kept on telling me that we were unfair to the three of them so it's but fair that I let him host Hanamichi's party." 

Sakuragi threw him a glare and was about to give him a major head butt when the others made a sudden grab on his arm and prevented Mito's untimely visit to the hospital. With his friend out of reach, the redhead just resorted into yelling, "You fell for that? You know better than to listen to him." 

"Fine! I'm sorry ok?" Mito cried in resignation. "What would you have me do then? Tell everyone inside this house to go home or pack everything and return to Danny's where it was supposed to?" 

The redhead stopped his struggles for a moment as he digested the logic behind his friend's words and with a cry of sheer frustration, whirled around and vented his anger over the unknowing wall behind him. 

"What's the big deal anyway? It's just a house! Why are you making such a fuss?" Takamiya asked. 

"He's worried about Rukawa." Mito simply said as he kept his eyes fixed over the suddenly muted birthday boy. 

"Why? It's not as if Sendoh's gonna jump you." 

Chocolate colored eyes that were glazed with a mixture of sadness and worry turned to look at the yellow haired member of Sakuragi's Gundan and said, "It's not that Yuji. I just don't want…" 

"… Rukawa to be jealous." Mito ended for him. "We know that Hanamichi but what can you do? Run away from your own party?" 

Feeling suddenly depressed with the whole situation, the redhead leaned against the wall and said, "No. I couldn't do that. But I don't want Rukawa to be jealous either." 

"How would you know that he would be anyway?" 

"Because he has been, ever since I used Sendoh as camouflage for our relationship." Sakuragi explained. 

"You and your stupid ideas." Mito muttered with a shake of his head. 

"Ok, so now where back to Youhei's question. What would you do?" Noma asked. 

Brown eyes turned to look up and gazed thoughtfully at the sky, thinking how its cloudless shade of blue reminded him strongly of a pair of aquatic blue eyes. The same blue eyes that would either shine brightly for him whenever they showed happiness and love or could rival a stormy sea when provoked and angered. Sighing, he returned his gaze back to his friends and knew that either way he had to make a decision. "It's my birthday today right? Though I really don't want to have a fight with Kaede… I guess all I could do is hope for the best and face the music." 

"Meaning…" 

"Meaning…" Straightening himself up, "… What are we waiting for? We have a party to go to right?" He voiced as he tried to keep a straight face to show his friends. 

All four faces brightened up and broke into grins as they went to stand beside their redheaded friend. "Are you sure about this Hanamichi?" 

Nodding his head, "Yes I am Youhei. Besides, as long as I don't do anything to make Rukawa jealous then… there's really nothing to worry about, right?" The redhead concluded with a shrug. 

"Yeah I guess you're right." Mito happily conceded. "But do tell him not to be jealous of me, ok? His stares just gives me the chills sometimes." He added, patting the suddenly sheepish looking redhead on his back. 

"I still can't believe how possessive your boyfriend could get. Just imagine being jealous of Youhei. I mean, we're your friends. What would he do when he couldn't take it? Make you avoid us?" Noma jokingly questioned and was sharing a laugh with Ookusu and Takamiya that he had totally missed the forlorn expression on his friend's face after that remark. 

"No." Sakuragi answered with a shake of his head. "Rukawa would never ask me that. He knows how I feel for you guys and he will not take that away from me." He answered with certainty in his heart. "Rukawa may be possessive but it's not that bad and just to let you know, he has never once asked me to avoid you. He even insisted that I come here without him." He confessed, eyeing his friends with utmost seriousness. 

Sakuragi's words were received with silence for a moment, that is, until Mito laughed and said, "Don't take it seriously Hanamichi. Sauchiro was just pulling your leg." Placing a comforting arm on the redhead's shoulder, "Besides, we're family and families can't be separated. Right?" 

Takamiya nodded his head, Ookusu smiled and Noma said, "Yes we are…" Then he gathered them all in a circle and with arms around each of their shoulders, he declared, "… And like what families do… we stick together and love the ones they love." 

"Even if it means accepting…" Ookusu added. "… Rukawa in the circle." Takamiya finished for them. 

Sakuragi disentangled himself to stare at his friends with happiness in his eyes. "You mean…" 

"Yes, we give you our blessing Hanamichi because we know that Rukawa would and could make you happy." Mito imparted. 

"And don't worry about Sendoh. We will make sure that Rukawa would never have a reason to be jealous." Noma stated. 

"And we promise to make your birthday party a success and a happy one." Takamiya chirped in. 

Close to tears, Sakuragi suddenly made a grab of his friends and engulfed them all in a bear hug, much to the consternation of the others since the sheer force of the embrace was choking them. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you and thank you." He said repeatedly. 

After a while… "Now could we get on with the party and ring the doorbell? Or would you guys rather stay here and admire the view?" Mito asked after they have all been released. 

"Ring the doorbell!" 

"Well since you are the birthday boy… why don't you do the honors?" Mito told Sakuragi which the latter agreed and complied. 

After several rings, hurried footsteps were heard and then out popped… 

"Sendoh…" 

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To be continued… Another dragging chapter huh? Anyway, some of you might be wondering why I dragged Hana's birthday this long. I can't precisely say why for now but I do hope that you guys bear with me for a while. I promise that this will not go to chapter 9 or 10.  
  
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Comments and Criticisms and Reviews are most welcomed.


	4. Wayward Emotions

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PART 04: Wayward Emotions 

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"Sendoh" Sakuragi mumbled as he saw the tall spikey haired basketball player beaming his pearly whites at them from the door. 

"Hana! The party's already in full swing and we were all waiting for you to arrive." After he had ushered his visitors in, Sendoh hurriedly closed the door and fixed his blue gaze over the fidgeting birthday boy who was clearly avoiding his eyes. _[Cute] He thought but instead he said, "I was about to send my driver to pick you up." _

"Yeah right, you wouldn't even know where to pick us up." Sakuragi mumbled. 

"Oh yes I do, you were over at Rukawa's, am I right?" Sendoh asked. 

Surprised, "How did you…" The redhead trailed and then asked, "What are you my shadow?" 

The former Ryonan player laughed at the incredulous expression on the beautiful boyish face and couldn't help pinch the adorable nose. "I wish. But no, Hikoichi overheard Mito talking outside Danny's and told me." 

"That snoop." Mito muttered under his breath. "Speaking of Hikoichi, we need to check if he's done everything we told him to." He told the other three. Turning towards the birthday boy, "Will you be okay if we leave you with Sendoh for a second, Hanamichi?" 

"Don't worry about your friend Mito. I'll take real good care of him." Sendoh assured him under his breath as he caught one of Sakuragi's hands into his and brought it to his lips. 

Sakuragi's Gundan watched their host's affectionate greeting to their friend in dismay and all had the same thought running in their heads… _[This is not good.] But before any of them could do or say anything, Hikoichi surprisingly came bounding to them with tons of questions and dragged them away from the couple standing in the hallway, much to Hanamichi's chagrin. _

Busy with cursing his friends' desertion of him, the redhead did not notice that his hand was still firmly clasped by the slightly taller guy and was about to chase Mito and the others when he was pulled back, bringing his body in close contact with Sendoh's. With one hand braced against the other's chest, Sakuragi's gaze was temporarily transfixed onto a pair of beautiful blue eyes darkened with an emotion he knew too well, but an emotion he could only accept in the eyes of Kaede Rukawa. 

A feeling of guilt overcame him as he realized how he must have encouraged that emotion and knew that he had been unfair to him. Tearing his gaze away, Sakuragi bowed his crimson head and whispered, "Don't look at me like that Sendoh." He pleaded, pushing away as he tugged his hand from Sendoh's grasp but not before his ring had accidentally scraped the other's palm. 

With a slightly pained expression, Sendoh asked, "Why, because of Rukawa?" Clenching his hand that was scraped by the ring, Sendoh edged closer to the redhead and scowled when he saw the glinting object around the other's finger, mocking him of sort that he no longer had the right or opportunity to pursue his intentions for the guy before him. "I see that he had wasted no time in branding his possession and I bet that he kept you from coming to our fishing trip this morning." He chided. 

Backing away, "I am not a thing to possess Sendoh and Kaede does not treat me that way. I'm sorry about this morning but he had nothing to do with it. He IS my boyfriend and it's but natural that I would want to be with him than anybody else!" Sakuragi defended rather harshly, feeling slightly irked that his host thought ill of his boyfriend. 

"Kaede… So now he is Kaede and I'm just… 'Anybody'?" He questioned, crowding the redhead with his wider frame as he continued to get closer. 

Sakuragi shook his head, "No! You're my friend Sendoh, a very good friend." 

_[A friend. Was I only a friend to you?] He wondered, as jealousy, like Sendoh had never felt before, shot through his veins like molten lava, heating the sudden hate he felt for the absent Rukawa. "So where is KAEDE? Isn't he the least bit worried to leave you alone with me?" He asked and couldn't help keeping the venom from his voice when he uttered the name of the once crush of his sophomore life. _

Sakuragi cursed under his breath when his back met the unyielding wall. Left with nowhere else to go, he met the penetrating blue gaze and calmly replied, "There's nothing for him to be worried about. Kaede knows that there's nothing between the two of us." 

The tall brunette's eyes narrowed and he was about to say something when someone tapped him from behind. 

The redhead heaved a sigh of relief for the timely save and leaned his head further to the side to catch a glimpse of his savior. But to his dismay, he found the other two people he didn't want to face just yet and all because his friends took the liberty of organizing such a rigged kind of game. 

Crying out his frustration, "What is this? Gang up on birthday boy day?" He questioned, pushing Sendoh away to walk past him only to be blocked by the other two. "What? Can't I join my own party?" 

"Later Sakuragi. By the way, where's your boyfriend?" Fujima asked. 

"He's with his parents. Why are you asking anyway?" He snapped, irritated by the turn of events. 

Fujima and Kiyota shared a knowing glance then suddenly broke into grins. "Perfect! We have an opportunity to have a moment with you alone for a while. Sendoh?" 

The host was silent for a while as he sought to control the unwanted feelings he just felt. Feigning a happy face that he really didn't quite feel at that moment, Sendoh nodded his head and said, "We'll continue our talk later Hana." 

Sakuragi couldn't help but groan at that remark and though he knew that more talk would ensue from Fujima and Kiyota, he was left with no other option but follow the three. 

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{Poolside} 

Four pair of eyes scanned the area and still couldn't believe the place where Sendoh had arranged for their friend's party to be. The poolside, as Hikoichi enthusiastically informed them earlier when asked where the party was being held, was situated quite apart from the house. To arrive at the place, they had to descend a flight of rock made steps then pass through a covered walk that was roofed and surrounded by different sorts of flora, giving them a feel that they were going through the Garden of Eden. Once they had reached the end of the path, they had to walk under an arc covered by yellow daisies held at each end by two stone-carved angels posed to greet the visitors as they crossed the threshold of the pool area. The whole place just gave them a serene feeling of being on a remote island with a huge pool surrounded in the middle by wall made flowers on one side and the ocean on the other. 

"Man would Hanamichi love this." Noma muttered, staring at the huge Olympic sized pool already being invaded by the other guests. 

"Yeah, this is just awesome." Ookusu added, checking out the breathtaking view of the ocean visible from where they were standing. 

Though Mito was equally awed by the place, he had voiced out one thought that had beset his mind. "I wonder what Rukawa would think when he sees this." 

"That Sendoh was really out to outshine him in the eyes of Hanamichi." Noma chuckled. 

Takamiya nodded his head in agreement, though he was already eyeing the buffet of food and beverages served at both sides of the pool. "I wonder who is richer, Rukawa or Sendoh?" 

"If you would ask Sendoh then he would say, Rukawa." Said a not so tall brunette with sparkling blue eyes clad in shorts and a white shirt. 

"Why would he say that, Koshino-san?" Hikoichi questioned. 

"Because Rukawa has his precious redhead, that's why." Koshino scoffed. 

All four Sakuragi Gundan mouthed, "Oh," before closing their mouth when Mitsui and Miyagi came to greet them, also clad in shorts and shirts. 

"Hey guys, nice of you to drop in. Isn't this great? Hanamichi sure is lucky to have his birthday party celebrated here." The short mushroom head remarked. 

"Hey I may not be as rich as Sendoh but I could make your birthday party a hell of a lot better than this Ryochin." Mitsui said, elbowing the guy beside him. 

"Will you stop that? This is Hanamichi's day so zip it." Miyagi retorted. 

Mito and the others had a question mark on their heads while Hikoichi and Koshino were giggling quite uncharacteristically. "Are you…?" Mito paused, not even daring to end his question. 

Miyagi shook his head and said, "No we are not." 

"Yet!" Mitsui added with a grin. "He's still playing hard to get and I told him that I will get my answer today even if I have to force it out from him." 

"Good luck to you then." Mito said and laughed when Miyagi threw him a glare. 

"So… Where's birthday boy? Sendoh said that you were over at Rukawa's?" Koshino asked after Miyagi had stomped Mitsui hard on his unknowing foot when the latter tried to place an arm around him. 

Grinning slightly, "Hanamichi's with Sendoh now but we were over at Rukawa's earlier." Noma supplied. 

Miyagi lifted a brow and asked, "Didn't Rukawa mind? Or is he with them as well?" 

Takamiya shook his head and replied, "No he's not. Hanamichi said that he'd be coming a little later." 

"Oh, guess Sendoh's not wasting the opportunity huh?" Mitsui chortled. 

Each person gathered near the arc received the remark quite differently. Hikoichi and Miyagi just shrugged, Koshino had a frown painted across his face, while Sakuragi's Gundan sported a worried expression. 

Noticing the silence that had suddenly befallen them, "Hey why such gloomy faces? It was just a joke. Come, I'll show you where you can change." Mitsui offered as he led the small group to the changing room. 

_[I just hope that you are right Mitsui-san. I just hope that you are right.] Mito thought as he followed the others. _

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{Elsewhere} 

A tall spectacled brunette was checking his watch for the 2nd time that afternoon as he patiently waited for a certain someone to come out from the door that would herald the arrival of passengers coming from Tokyo. He had been surprised to receive the call early that morning asking for him to be at the airport. His surprise was not because of the request but of the person who made the call. They were not what you would call friends since they had seldom talked to one another and when they do, the only reason for it would be because of a certain blue-eyed brown-haired 'angel'… his best friend and the other's boyfriend. 

_[So I guess it would be right to assume that this meeting would be about him.] He thought with a sigh. He was about to check his watch again when the door he had been keeping vigil swung open and out came a mass of nameless faces. Not till he saw the brooding face of the one he was waiting did he let out a sigh of relief and went to greet the other. _

"Hanagata." 

"Maki." 

Their curt greetings to each other was nothing out of the norm but Hanagata's gut feeling made him think that whatever it was that had made Maki came rushing back to Kanagawa was something worth to skip his parents' wedding anniversary. 

"So you mind telling me why you're here and not where you're supposed to?" Hanagata asked after they have exited the airport's main entrance and were waiting for a cab to pass by. 

"I came to get Kenji back." Maki clipped. 

Chuckling, "Impatient to be with your boyfriend Maki?" 

Brown eyes turned to regard the taller player with jealousy in his eyes. "I came to get him back from you Hanagata." 

Taken aback, Hanagata leaned his head back and stared as if Maki had just grown another head. "What are you talking about? Kenji and I have already told you countless times before that I am straight. We're just the best of friends, nothing more and nothing less. Can't you get that through your jealous head?" He cried, frustrated that Maki was still singing that tune. 

"Then why not tell me why he had broken up with me?" Maki questioned, brown eyes glinting with anger and pain. 

Hanagata's dark grey eyes almost popped out from their sockets as he stared in disbelief after hearing the remark. "What? When?" He stammered.

"Just this morning."

"This morning…" Hanagata trailed, totally missing the intense scrutiny the other was giving him as he digested the information. "Did you guys have a fight?" He suddenly asked.

Maki shook his head but still kept his deep brown eyes locked to the taller guy beside him. "Last night? No. But we have been having short arguments about him staying away longer than usual." He replied. 

Deep in thought, "But I thought you were okay when he had decided to extend his stay here instead of returning to Tokyo last week?" Hanagata asked. 

Hearing a car horn, Maki turned to look at the incoming cab and cursed silently when he saw that it was occupied. Frustrated and depressed, Maki bowed his head and said, "I would have said no but something in Kenji's voice told me that he would have stayed with or without my consent, so I let him." Sighing, "Last night, when he called, I was hoping that he would say that he was coming home. But when I heard his voice…" He trailed, squinting his eyes as he tried to recall something, "… It sounded different. HE sounded different. I asked him about it but he just cut me back by saying that he couldn't talk for long and then hang up." Turning pained brown eyes to the taller fellow beside him, "Then, he called again early this morning and told me in no such clear terms that he had to break up with me. That he was sorry, and before I could even recover from the shock, the line went dead." He finished, bowing his head again as he fought to control himself from breaking down. 

Hanagata saw Maki's struggles and felt something like guilt course through him. Not because that he was the reason why they had broken up but maybe if he had done something or said something then things wouldn't be as muddled as it was turning out to be.

_[But why did he have to break up with him?] _

That particular question bothered him since he knew how much Fujima loved Maki and it was just_… [Not right,]_ he thought. Thinking that his friend's change of heart might have happened sometime late last night or very early in the morning, Hanagata tried to jog his memory and remember what happened the night before. But much to his disappointment, only bits and pieces were popping in his mind and he still couldn't tie them together. Tilting his head upwards with his eyes closed, _[I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night.]_ He thought, mentally kicking himself in the process. He was not a good drunk, never was and never will be. But self-reprisal could wait since he still had the pressing matter of remembering anything that could shed some light into Fujima's hasty decision. Taking a deep breath, Hanagata focused his attention hard on the wall in front of him as he tried to picture himself with his best friend, getting stoned from all the beer that they had bought earlier that evening. Slowly, the hazy image got a little clearer and he could see them sitting on floor. 

_ Non-stop drinking… Fujima gesturing something with his hand… Fujima's constant yapping about the stupid 'dating game'… occasional mention of his boyfriend's name, though he couldn't quite recall what about… and something about scheming a way to take the redhead away from Rukawa. _

_[WHAT????] That last recollection stopped him short and would have gawked if he had not stopped himself in time. Shaking his head a bit, Hanagata turned his full attention into that last bit of memory. But try as he might, he just couldn't quite remember the details. _[Damn it! Why is it that Kenji always says the stupidest things whenever he's drunk?]_ He mentally cried. Placing a hand over his throbbing forehead, "God, what a mess!" He unconsciously voiced out loud. _

Hearing his companion, Maki lifted his head and saw the troubled expression on the other's face. "Is there something that I should know about Hanagata?" He asked. 

Hanagata unconsciously gulped as he tried not to flinch from Maki's penetrating gaze and almost wished that he had not remembered anything at all. _ Ignorance is bliss _ Wishing to be ignorant about certain matters was already too late for him since he realized that he was already caught in the web that his friend had weaved. 

Thinking that his best friend might have went over board this time, not to mention that he might be making the huge mistake of his life, Hanagata decided that it was time to let Maki know everything and prayed that Fujima would not fault him with it afterwards. Taking a deep breath, "I think it's time that you should know what's been keeping Kenji in Kanagawa." He started but before he could continue, a tall and arresting young man standing a few meters away from them caught his attention. 

"Rukawa," he called and then made his way towards the surprised Shohoku ace with an exasperated former Kainan ace in tow. 

"Hanagata-san. Maki-san." Rukawa said in greeting. 

"Why aren't you over at Sendoh's?" Hanagata abruptly questioned, the fact that Rukawa was not where he 'should' be was making his head whirl with thoughts and images that he really didn't like to entertain at that moment. 

A frown crossed Rukawa's face as he replied, "Why should I be?" 

"Because that's where Sakuragi's birthday party was transferred to." Hanagata replied and felt a pang of regret for blurting it out quite carelessly. 

Disbelief immediately replaced the frown that had marred Rukawa's face before a sudden surge of jealousy rose at peak point that made his eyes narrowed into slits, his blue orbs shouting bloody murder. 

Upset that Hanagata seemed to have shifted attention, "Quit stalling Hanagata and tell me what's going on with Kenji!" Maki interjected. 

"I'm not stalling Maki but Rukawa has much right to know about Fujima as you do." He argued, though his comment made his two companions confused. 

"What has he got to do with Kenji?" Maki asked and was barely fighting the urge to shake the taller guy for answers. 

"Talk." Rukawa barked. 

The order was unmistakable and Hanagata had the sudden urge to punch whoever had voted for him to act as sponge for the two slowly getting incensed basketball player. Sighing, "I will answer both of your questions but first we need to get going to the party." He casually informed them. 

"I'll take us there." Rukawa clipped. Though he was not really inclined to have company, Hanagata's comments confused him to the point that his earlier dread of not being with his Hana was making his heart pound erratically in his chest. His hands were balled into fist and were itching to be rammed on someone's face, _[preferably Sendoh's], he thought but then, __[what's my connection with Fujima?] He really didn't get the chance to dwell on it a bit further since his car came into view and they were soon on their way to Sendoh's house as Hanagata started telling them about Fujima and about his 'aho. _

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To be continued....

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Notes: Thank you for those who have reviewed and commented. To everyone who had read it, THANKS!!!! Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay in updating.. got tied with work. Well hope you guys likes this chapter and do please leave your comments and reviews.... 

There are lots of SenRu's popping.. guess I just had to post a RuHana/HanaRu ... _smiles_


	5. Concealed Emotions

Author's notes: Hello there.... Sorry for the delay in updating. Anyway, here's another chapter and hope you guys would like it.

**To HAN:** Thanks for loving the fic.. I really appreciate it _hugs_

**To Yle-chan**: I did not get the chance to thank you for your comment. **THANKS!!!! **Anyway, I am still waiting for the continuation of your fic "Together Again"... You know the sequel for EASY and APART. Been waiting for it.

**To Yuuki, Tina, Anata, Ghostwriter, Lady Ice Dragon (nice ficcies by the way), Lyscanthe, Ru-chan, Vulpixfairy and Amyza: ** _THANK YOU LOTS!!!!!!_

**To Zinnia: ** Yes I love Rukawa the lover even if he is possessive, instead of Rukawa the wanton lover if paired with Sendoh.

**To Icko14: **Your Lost Kitsune fic was really good and I liked it a lot... and your first fic... Just a Feeling.. _sigh_

**To Kogure-sempai:** Waiting for the continuation of your fic "DREAMS...." and oh that fic "The question..." better do something of a RuHana or else... _glares nah.. just kidding c")_

**To my imouto Kimi-chan:** Huggles and see you on MSN very soon... and oh.. you might not see this at the bbc for a while.. he he.. might post it on Monday or Tuesday...

**To Annie D and Liez:** Two of my favorite writers at ff.net who had also graced us at the bbc... I hope you read this.. anyway, was not able to leave a comment but I loved your fics.. Annie D... Colours was just sad and Liez.. Haka is just awesome.. 

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PART 05: Concealed Emotions 

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{Inside Sendoh's House - Study Room} 

"This is the study room. I think this will be private enough." Sendoh said as he closed the door. 

"So what's this about?" The redhead questioned, leaning against the huge oak desk as he faced the other three in the room. 

"This is about yesterday Hana." Sendoh said, thankful that the walk had lulled his raging emotions earlier. 

_[I knew it] He thought in dismay and threw his arms in the air before saying, "Look. I am sorry that my friends dragged you guys into their prank but I had nothing to do with it. It was a s.u.r.p.r.i.s.e. Get it? I absolutely had no idea!" _

"Yeah but you did deny us a fair game when you had chosen Rukawa over us." Fujima argued. 

Sakuragi gawked and said, "Are you for real? Why won't I choose my boyfriend over any of you?" 

"Why not?" 

The redhead's jaw completely dropped. He couldn't believe that he would be getting the third degree questioning on his birthday and least of all from someone he didn't think would care at all. But as he took note Fujima's serious expression and surprisingly from Kiyota's as well, Sakuragi realized that he wouldn't get any fun out of his own birthday party till something happens that could appease them somehow. But short of renouncing his choice yesterday, _[which they could wait till hell freezes over], he couldn't really fathom what they would want from him. _

Left with nothing else to do, he tried injecting humor to a somewhat awkward situation and cheekily remarked, "I never knew that the two of you wanted to have a date with me that bad." Pointing a finger at Fujima and Kiyota. 

"WHAT?" Kiyota thundered. "Why you egotistical, loud mouth, idiotic red monkey you, I'll show you desperate." He warned, rolling up his sleeve in an act of preparing to do something to wipe the grin off the redhead's face. 

"Stop it Kiyota!" Fujima admonished and then turned towards the still grinning head. "Sakuragi, since we were not given a chance… Will you grant each of us this day to actually spend some time with you? 

That stopped his mirth but he was tempted to laugh out loud for the absurdity of the request. "Sorry, but I do have a full pack schedule today. Not only do I have my own birthday party to attend to but I still have a date with my kitsune tonight." He grinned, thinking that they couldn't possibly argue with that one. But to his dismay, Fujima, Kiyota and also Sendoh just looked at each other with smiles on their faces, making the redhead feel that there was a conspiracy brewing against him. _[This does not look good. Better leave now Hanamichi before it's too late.] His mind advised. But before he could even move… _

"Actually Hana-kun, we only need about an hour each of your time, well maybe 'longer' for me and you would still have lots of time to enjoy your party and your precious KAEDE could wait till tonight before he could have you all to himself." 

Ignoring the obvious snide about his boyfriend, "An hour each?" Sakuragi squeaked. "Er… I don't know." 

"If you ask me, you're just chicken to accept the idea." Kiyota snorted. 

"Will you shut up? Or do you want your head bashed to the wall and wake up tomorrow?" Sakuragi warned. 

"Let's just see you try." Kiyota dared and was about to walk over when Fujima stopped him again. 

"Will you stop doing that Kiyota? Now what's your answer Sakuragi?" 

The redhead gave the wild monkey one last glowering look before he pondered over the idea again. _[An hour each? What could they possibly get in an hour?] He thought but then as he looked at their determined faces, he knew that he had to accept it, either that or fight his way out. That last idea would have been his first choice if he was the Sakuragi of old, but since he had changed over the years and add the fact that he did not want any fight ensued on his birthday, he was left with no other choice but to accept the thought of spending an hour with each of them. Looking on the bright side, at least he could enjoy the party after three hours and he still had the thought of spending a glorious night with his gorgeous boyfriend to keep him going. _

Sighing in resignation, "Ok. But remember, only an hour each." He stated but as he saw Sendoh's wicked grin… he couldn't help but add, "And just talking. Understood?" 

Sendoh had the decency to look sheepish after that and Sakuragi was about to give himself a pat on the back for thinking ahead of the notorious Hentai when he suddenly caught a sexy devilish smile gracing the pretty angelic face of Shoyo's former ace, giving him shivers running up his spine. _[What would substitute be smiling about?] _

"That's fine by me Sakuragi." 

"That is so magnanimous of you red monkey and it took you minutes before you arrived at that decision?" The short brunette derided. 

Gritting his teeth, he turned towards the other two and asked, "Why does he need an hour with me anyway? He'll irritate me and the next thing you know, we'll be at each other's throats in no time. Can we just not include him in this?" 

It was a good thing that Fujima had anticipated Kiyota's 'would be' reaction because before Kainan's wild monkey could even move a muscle, his arm was being firmly grasped and he was kept from initiating what the redhead termed as 'at each other's throats', thus he was left with no other option but to glare at the guy. 

Witnessing the comedic efforts of Kiyota to go after Sakuragi then thwarted again and again by Fujima had gradually reverted Sendoh back to his usual cheery self, thus he was laughing openly when he remarked, "No Hana, we can't. I guess you have three extra 'dates' for your birthday and it's a good thing that Rukawa is not here or we wouldn't have the opportunity to spend quality time together, right?" He teased. 

Sakuragi couldn't help blush upon hearing the insinuation. "It would not be a date Sendoh and stop flirting or I swear I'll give you a major head injury if you don't." He chastised and was irritated further when the spiked haired player gave him a wink. "Aarghh! You're hopeless!" He cried then turned away, opting to have the sullen Sendoh back. 

"Don't worry Hana-kun, 'our' time together will come last and I will not let that 'boyfriend' of yours come between us this time." Sendoh promised. 

That alone almost made the birthday boy retract his promise and he was actually about to comment on it when Kiyota suddenly said, "I'll go first. I don't need an hour to do what I want to do, besides I want mine to be fast and done with." And before he could even voice a protest, he suddenly found Kiyota in front of him and kissed him right smack on the lips. 

The kiss was quick but the action shocked him so much that it rendered him speechless and gaping for a while. It was mind numbing to say the least and his only thoughts at that moment were, _[Kiyota kissed me. He actually dared to kiss me.] Finding his voice, "You… you… what… why the heck did you that for?" He exclaimed, unconsciously touching his lips. _

For the first time since they have met, Kiyota gave the redhead a tender look as he reached to caress the other's face and said, "Because I wanted to and I have been thinking of doing that for the longest time." 

Bothered by the sudden change from his long time squabbling partner, he squeaked, "Why?" Then he leaned back to get away from the touching hand. 

Kiyota sighed and said, "I really don't know." Dropping his hand to his side, he continued to stare intently on the face that had mocked him for the past two years and had haunted him for the past months. "Chalk it to having a recurring nightmare and each time I wake up… I wanted to do just that." 

Brown eyes went wide in disbelief. "What? That's it? That's your reason?" 

Brows furrowed, "Why? You think I'm declaring undying love for you?" Kiyota asked and suddenly laughed out loud when the other went as red as his hair. "Ha ha ha ha… You think I am? Such ego you have. I just wanted to end my nightmare by stealing a kiss from you that's all." He declared and continued laughing till he was almost close to tears. 

"Stupid wild monkey!!!" Sakuragi exclaimed. Irritated and annoyed that he had given him an open opportunity to pull a fast one on him. Venting his anger using the only manner he knew how, Sakuragi intentionally sent the still chuckling Kainan player to the floor with a huge lump on his forehead. "That'll teach you not to pull the same stunt on me again… Kiyota!" He spat and then started rubbing his lips vigorously with the back of his hand. 

"Shit! I forgot that nasty habit of his." Kiyota mumbled as Sendoh was helping him to his feet. 

"Yeah you should have run away as fast as you could after pulling that stunt." Sendoh joked, eyeing the still flustered Shohoku forward. "I can't believe that you actually did it." 

Licking his lips, he suddenly chortled and said, "You know what's ironic? The first guy that I ever kissed was that stupid red monkey but it was well worth it. I would never forget that expression on his face, _[or the taste of his lips] … priceless and I'll use every opportunity I get to throw it in his face." _

"You are crazy do you know that? Rukawa will skin you alive if you ever so mentioned that in front of him. Oh, let's not forget that you'll be a frequent visitor at the hospital." 

"You're one to talk. I bet Rukawa's just itching to bury you right about now if he even got wind that you were hosting this party, let alone thinking nasty thoughts about his boyfriend." Kiyota countered as he sat beside the unaffected brown haired boy who had just finished drinking his wine. 

Sendoh sweatdropped but still kept his smile plastered on his face when he replied, "Burying me will have to wait. There are things that I wanted to clarify with Hana first and I intend to do that with or without Rukawa's presence." Turning towards the calm and composed Fujima, "Your turn Fujima and make it quick." 

Placing his emptied glass on top of the mini-bar table, Fujima remarked, "Don't rush me Sendoh. I intend to spend my time with Sakuragi with far less injury than Kiyota." 

"Better tell me that kissing is not part of your agenda Fujima or you'll experience much worst than that stupid monkey." Sakuragi warned as he obviously heard the comment. 

Laughing openly, Fujima got off the high chair and started walking towards the redhead while saying; "Only I know what I have in mind for you Sakuragi. But rest assured that if and when I do kiss you…" Stopping right in front of him, "… I'll make sure that it will be pleasurable for the both of us." 

Taken aback, the redhead choked, "What?" _[This is not happening to me! Why oh why did Youhei chose three hentais?] He mentally asked and cursed his absent friend for the situation he was in at that moment. _

"Would you guys mind if you leave us alone now? Hana-chan and I won't need an audience for the next hour." Fujima stated. 

"Hana-chan?" All three chirped. 

"Since when did he become Hana-chan?" Sendoh asked. 

"My reasons are my own and I will not make it known to you or anybody else besides Hana-chan. So please, leave us." He implored. 

But Sendoh was still not moving an inch though the other brunette already had the door opened and was ready to leave. There was something about Fujima's tone that made him wary of leaving the redhead alone with the guy. "What do you have in mind Fujima?" 

Fujima's lips twitched at the tone of jealousy he detected. "You are NOT his boyfriend Sendoh so stop acting like one. We are rowing the same boat and I suggest that you just leave me to paddle mine." 

Silence…The room was momentarily filled with an unknown tension coming from the two unyielding guys, making Sakuragi fidget uncomfortably from where he was standing. He didn't know why but… there was a certain hunger with the way Fujima had looked at him when the other was approaching him, making him think that Fujima's intentions was something he should fear more than Sendoh's. _[What did I get myself into?] He thought in dismay, but he just stood his ground and wished that his face did not show the growing fear that he was feeling. _

Contrary to what the redhead might have wished, Sendoh did notice and went to stand beside him. Ignoring the scowl that had marred Fujima's pretty face, Sendoh gathered the resisting redhead in his arms and tenderly whispered, "I'm sorry if I have to leave you alone with him Hana, but I promise to come back later and then I'll take you somewhere where we could really talk, ok?" Seeing a hesitant nod, he tenderly kissed the latter's forehead, lingering for a second to inhale the heavenly scent of the other before he turned towards Fujima and said, "I may not be his boyfriend Fujima but I do care for him. I'll be back after an hour and you better not do anything or Rukawa won't be the only one after you."

Fujima's eyes flared with an emotion Sendoh didn't quite catch since the guy hastily turned away. "I'm not afraid of you or even Rukawa. Think and say what you like then leave. My time had started and I intend to use it till the last second." 

Three set of eyebrows rose after that remark but no one commented since all decided to keep their opinions to themselves and after giving Hana's hand one last squeeze, Sendoh left the room with Kiyota. 

************************************************ 

{Somewhere in Kanagawa} 

Hanagata shifted into a more comfortable position in the front seat after he had sneaked a glance at the two silent figures sitting at the back. Their eerie silence was welcomed but not to the extent that it might actually last for most of the trip. Thanks to Rukawa's 'devil may care' attitude driver who was driving top speed on a 'thankfully' empty street, ordered of course by 'young master Kaede' as the driver had supplied when asked earlier, they would soon be arriving at Sendoh's house in no time. 

Passing the time, Hanagata gazed at the scenery zooming past outside the window and smirked a little when he remembered the friction that had happened between the two silent guys after he had disclosed Fujima's concealed interest for the 17-year-old redhead. 

Kainan's former ace was a jealous person, which he knows with certainty since he was an easy target of the guy's jealous tirades, but he had an inkling that Shohoku's own ace could rival or even surpass Maki in that area. It gave him chills just to remember the cold murderous look Rukawa had thrown Maki when he had said, "Your boyfriend is a dead guy if he so ever touch or harm Hanamichi," which Maki had replied with, "You would have to go through me first," in equal coldness. Thinking that he had to calm someone somehow, he reminded Rukawa that besides the fact that his boyfriend could easily take care of himself, Fujima might not even do anything. Thankfully, it worked and he heaved a sigh of relief when Rukawa removed his icy blue gaze away from Maki then turned his head to lean against the window, eyes closed, whilst Maki remained glaring for awhile then copied Rukawa's action and was silent ever since. 

Though his worries over the two bad tempered basketball players were temporarily appeased, his worries over his bestfriend, however, were by no means mollified. His mind just kept wandering back to the facts that he had imparted to the other two, as if trying to find something that could possibly give reason to Fujima's change in attitude. 

Fujima's feelings for the redhead did not really come as a surprise to him when the other had visibly made it obvious just a week back. Though it had taken quite a lot of memory searching to tie the loose ends, he eventually traced his recollection back to one fateful evening, about a year and a half ago, when his bestfriend had unwittingly confessed to him of his uncertain feelings for a certain redhead. Of course, if Fujima had not arrived at his place already drunk, or if he did not consider the fact that the reason why he was drunk was because of a huge argument with Maki the night before, or the fact that his affiliation with the person in question was close to nil, then he would have taken the confession seriously and would not have forgotten about it when morning came. But it was exactly the case, nonetheless. After that night, things were kind of back to normal since Fujima had patched things up with Maki and the former had not mentioned anything about the redhead again. Well, at least not till they accidentally came across Hikoichi inside a diner and asked if they knew someone from Shoyo who would volunteer to participate in a dating game which would be held at Shohoku. Both of them had answered no and shun the idea when they were asked themselves if they would want to. But when Hikoichi mentioned that the supposed dating game was for Shohoku's self-proclaimed tensai, Fujima's blue eyes lit up and he immediately pressed the shorter guy for details. During their conversation, his bestfriend's show of eagerness and enthusiasm kindled his memory of that particular night, making him wonder if there was a grain of truth behind his friend's confession during his drunken stupor. But he need not wonder for long, because his confirmation came as soon as he heard Fujima volunteering even before Hikoichi ended his explanations and had hastily dialed Maki's number informing the latter that he'd be staying in Kanagawa for another week or more without even explaining why. When they arrived at his place, he sat Fujima down in one of their heart to heart talks and asked about the redhead. The question seemed to have surprised Fujima at first but reluctantly admitted his liking for the Shohoku center/forward. He was not able to probe him deeper after that since an excited Fujima got caught up with the preparation for the dating game. 

Left with only that information in his head, Hanagata thought that joining the dating game was only a means for his brown-haired friend to maybe get to know the redhead he admired for his skills but he was wrong… dead wrong. How was he to know that his friend's affection for Sakuragi went deeper than it should? _[Well, at least enough to have made Kenji act like a wanna-be jealous lover when Sakuragi had chosen Rukawa.] He sarcastically thought and his mind wandered towards what had happened in his house after they had left Shohoku High School. _

_[Last night…] Laying his head back against the headrest, Hanagata didn't know if he was thankful or not that all his memories of the night before came rushing back to him the minute his brain was able to focus its concentration on remembering everything that had to do with his bestfriend and, of course, Sakuragi. _

**** Flashback **** 

"WILL YOU STOP IT? You're starting to sound like a jealous boyfriend." Hanagata exclaimed, covering his ears since his friend was making his head throb from his constant yapping for like the 10th time that night about Sakuragi's choice of date for his birthday. "What makes you think that he would have picked you anyway? I overheard the others saying that Sendoh has gotten quite close to Sakuragi and there's still Kiyota." He pointed but immediately regretted it. 

If Fujima was sober, he might have seen the logic behind the statement, but since he was not, Hanagata suddenly found himself an easy target for the empty beer cans that were being hurled in mid-air by a drunken Fujima who had taken it as a jibe on his ego. Only when he gestured an act of surrender did Fujima stop his attack on him. Panting, "You're crazy, you know that?" He cried indignantly as he adjusted his glasses. 

"And you're one great friend!" Fujima countered; emptying the beer can he was holding and aiming it to be thrown to his bestfriend again. 

Holding his hand up high, "Hey quit it." Seeing the unrelenting face of his friend, he sighed and said, "Okay, I'm sorry. Sakuragi could have chosen you over Sendoh or Kiyota." He sweet-talked and when the hand was lowered, he added, "There, happy now?" He asked and snorted when he saw a twitch on his friend's lips. 

Shaking his head, "You are still delusional if you ask me. Just forget about your fixation over that redhead and focus on your own boyfriend. Don't you think you've been gone long enough? Maki would really be ecstatic if you would be able to attend his parents' wedding anniversary you know." He reminded him, standing to get another pack of beer from the cooler. 

Catching the beer that his friend had thrown, "I will not go back to Shinichi until my feelings for Sakuragi are resolved." Fujima firmly stated, his aquatic eyes glinting with a look that Hanagata only knew too well. 

Ignoring that look, "Yeah right, what would you do then? Stay in Kanagawa till Sakuragi notices you and eventually give you the time that you said you needed from him?" Hanagata gibed as he opted to sit beside his drunken friend. 

"What if I say I am?" Fujima clipped. 

Hanagata almost choked from the beer he was drinking and turned incredulous dark grey eyes over the shorter guy beside him. "Then you're crazy. I don't think Rukawa will let Sakuragi out of his sight especially now that their relationship is out in the open." 

Taking a drink on his own beer, "Then I'll just have to snatch Sakuragi away from Rukawa." He flatly stated. 

"WHAT?" Hanagata exclaimed, afraid that he had heard his friend correctly. He was about to blurt a question when the other stood up and said, "Let's just finish this pack and then sleep Toru. I need to make plans for tomorrow." 

**** End Flashback *** 

Whether those plans included breaking up with his boyfriend or going through with he had said about Sakuragi, he really didn't know. Fujima had remained clammed about that subject for the remainder of the night and since he had assumed that it was just the alcohol talking, he had actually let the matter drop. _[Again!] His mind reminded him. Twice, it was twice that Fujima had sprung something on him when Fujima himself or both of them were drunk and his negligence about both matters had caused Maki his heartbreak. _

_[If only I was not the bearer of bad news.] Hanagata thought and sighed wearily as he kneaded his forehead. God knows how he had tried his best to make the disclosure less distressing for Rukawa and less painful for Maki by opting to withhold that last bit of information in his memory, but the end result was still the same. _

Closing his eyes_, [Don't do anything Kenji. Please!!!] Hanagata mentally begged his friend. _

Meanwhile… True to what Hanagata might have thought, Maki was indeed hurting very much with what he had learned. It didn't help him to know that the person who might have caused his heartbreak was not even aware that he had sent two years of relationship down the drain. But he was not a quitter, never was and never will be. Though he admitted that he was rather preoccupied with his basketball career lately, he still couldn't accept Hanagata's theory that he had pushed his boyfriend's attention away from him due to his constant absence. _[I will get Kenji back and when I do, I'll make him forget that redhead.] He vowed and prayed that he wouldn't be too late to salvage their relationship. _

As for the silent raven head who kept clenching and unclenching his fist… 

_ Fujima had liked Sakuragi ever since they have met but it had grown to something deeper. Enough that it had made him upset when he knew of Sakuragi's relationship with Rukawa _

Those words kept echoing in his mind and were twisting his heart in slow torture of what Shoyo's former ace might do. Though he knew that his boyfriend could take care of himself, it still did not stop him from wishing that he had gone to the party instead of seeing his parents off. He would have called but his phone's battery went dead just right before he had tried contacting his boyfriend again when he was still with his parents. Since he was left with no other option but to patiently wait, Rukawa just settled into drawing a smiling picture of his beloved inside his mind, calming him with the thought that his Hana was safely enjoying his birthday party with his friends like he was supposed to. No Sendoh or Fujima to ruin it for him. Nothing more and nothing else, any other thought and he would definitely snap. _[Just be safe till I get to you Hana… wait for me.] _

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To be continued.............

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Please do leave your comments and reviews.. and oh by the way.. all of my fics are self-edited so if you find something wrong like grammar mistakes... spellings.. inconsistency or whatever in the story.. do tell me or email me if you don't want to post it... email add: dbrrk@yahoo.com There are still lots of room for improvement.. this is just my 5th fic anyway... and I plan to write for a long time.....!!!!! c")


	6. Emotions Within

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PART 06: EMOTIONS WITHIN 

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{Back at Sendoh's House – Inside the study room} 

"Good, they're gone. I thought they would never leave." Fujima said leaving the redhead standing in the middle of the room while he went to the mini-bar and fixed another drink. 

Keeping a calm and cool facade that he really didn't feel at the moment, Sakuragi walked around the room, feigning interest over the pictures that hang on the wall and casually said, "You still didn't answer my question substitute." 

Fujima ignored the irritating nickname the other had tagged on him ever since their first meeting and shrugged before saying, "I wanted to be alone with you. Is that too hard to accept Hana-chan?" 

Snapping his head towards the shorter guy, "And that… Will you quit calling me that?" 

"Why? You call me 'substitute'." 

"Yeah but that's different. Hana-chan sounded so…" He faltered with a wave of his hand, not wanting to voice the word that he could only associate with his one and only Kitsune. 

"Intimate?" A voice suddenly drawled near his ear, making him jump and tumble backwards when he lost his footing. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people like that?" He cried and was about to stand up when Fujima unexpectedly straddled his waist and pinned his hands just above his head, effectively keeping him lying on the floor. "What the…! Get off me!" He gasped, squirming frantically to get the guy off him. 

But Fujima did not budge an inch. He just kept his gaze locked on the delectable picture of the redhead beneath him. "Beautiful." He whispered then lowered his head. 

Brown eyes went wide in horror when he saw the slowly descending face and twisted his own face away. But he immediately regretted doing so and sucked in his breath when he felt wet lips traveling over his exposed neck. _[Oh shit!] He mentally cursed then struggled anew as he used his lower body to throw Fujima off him but still failing since the other had his legs clamped tightly around his waist. Getting frantic, Sakuragi tried to wriggle his hands free from Fujima's grasp but only managed to move his head thus enabling Fujima to fuse his lips tightly onto his. Shocked, he opened his mouth to shout a protest but the other had used the opening to slip in his tongue. _

_[God, he tastes sweeter than I have imagined.] Fujima thought and delved deeper into the sweetness, not even bothered by the struggles from the other. _

Brown eyes went wide as saucers when Sakuragi felt Fujima's tongue in his mouth. He was utterly motionless for about a minute or so since most of his body parts were sending inputs to his brain as it tried to grasp what was happening to him. The scent of that brown hair, the silken feel of Fujima's face, the basketball callous hands that were pinning his arms down, the warm body on top of his, the obvious hardness somewhere down below and the taste of that roaming tongue inside his mouth… Squeezing his eyes shut_, [Oh my god, this is not happening!] He mentally cried as the full realization that he was being utterly kissed by someone other than his boyfriend hit him hard in the gut. With renewed vigor, he started struggling form the other's tight hold on him but only managed to free his lips. Once freed, he shouted, "Let me go Fujima or I'll…" He tried saying but was cut off when Fujima reclaimed his lips in a searing kiss and then captured his tongue in his mouth, sucking till a moan was wrenched out from him before the guy released its tormenting assault on his mouth._

Lifting his head, Fujima smiled down on his captive and whispered, "You taste sweeter than wine Hana-chan." He remarked as he took note of the panting redhead beneath him, flushed cheeks, burning brown eyes and swollen red lips. _[Picture perfect!] He thought and leaned his head down again._

_[Oh no you don't!] Finding the opening he needed, Sakuragi rammed his head hard on Fujima's when he got near enough for him to reach. When he saw the other's obvious disorientation, Sakuragi used that opportunity to break free and pushed the guy off him with success. Once freed, the redhead immediately stood up and eyed the fallen player with anger in his eyes. "Don't you ever lay a finger on me again!" He growled._

Standing up, "Why so touchy? It was just a kiss." Fujima drawled, rubbing his forehead. 

Sakuragi clenched his fist and restrained himself from punching the smirk off of his face. "I think all that alcohol made you stupid and I suggest that you stay away from me or I swear that you won't be able to play basketball for a long time." With that, Sakuragi started walking towards the door and was about to reach for the handle when Fujima suddenly spoke from behind.

"Our time together is not yet over Hana-chan. You can't just leave and walk away without giving me the whole hour that you promised." Fujima remarked, calmly walking like a predator towards the riled redhead. 

Without even turning to the source of the voice, Sakuragi replied, "Do you have a death wish? You've taken all that you could from me, nothing more. Now if you'll excuse me…" 

"No I won't." Fujima interrupted in a firm tone as he sidestepped the redhead to stand between him and the door. He was not going to let the opportunity pass by. _[Not when I finally got the chance to be alone with you.] _

"You are really testing my patience shorty. I suggest you move or I'll bodily remove you from that door." He warned, getting really annoyed with the shorter guy's persistence. 

"Really?" Fujima drawled. Leaning against the wall, "Well then, let's just see you try." He invited, crossing his arms across his chest while his sapphire eyes dared him to carry out his threat.

Hands tightly clenched. Head bowed. Eyes closed. _ [1…2…3…], the redhead mentally counted in hopes that his irritation for the smug looking blue-eyed boy would be diminished before his urge to really hurt the guy took over. It was a really neat trick, and it had undoubtedly lessened his outburst ever since Kogure had taught him that to avoid Akagi's gori punches on his head. It had mentally exhausted him at first since he used to count till he was blue in the face when he had wanted to pound Rukawa, but even that got shortened in time and even less since they had become a couple. With Fujima, it took only till the count of 30 before he was able to calmly accept the fact that he had to stay for the remainder of the hour or until Fujima got what he wanted from him. __[As long as there's no more kissing or touching involved.] He mentally added and then decided that all he had to do was to stay away from the guy. At least with that idea he would have less trouble in keeping a tight rein on his urge to pound the guy. Taking a huge breath, he turned and walked towards the chair that was farthest from the door and from the guy who was leaning against it while thinking, __[If I had not made that stupid vow to myself that I would be less of a gangster and more of a refined person to fit in Rukawa's life then I would have settled this matter with Kiyota, Sendoh and this guy within seconds of entering this room.] _

Thus with a heavy heart, he plunked himself on the chair then said, "Okay you win. But no more of that stunt you pulled or I'll really march right out of that door." 

Fujima's lips twitched, a huge part of him was rejoicing but the smaller part had hoped that the redhead had carried out his threat. At least he wouldn't have that part of his conscience that was screaming for him to think before HE carried out his plan. Shrugging that part of his thought away, Fujima strolled to the bar and said, "If you think that I would kiss you again then… don't be. I will not force myself on you again, that is not until you're a willing participant." He teased, turning his head slightly so he could stare straight into a pair of chocolate colored eyes. 

"That would never happen." Sakuragi snapped, feeling his cheeks burn from that penetrating look. 

Fujima chuckled when he saw the redhead blush and said, "You look beautiful when you blush Hana-chan." 

Hot cheeks forgotten, Sakuragi's mouth hang open upon hearing that word. Only one person had irritatingly dared to call him that and the only reason why that hentai smiley was still walking and talking his sweet nothings was because he had gotten quite close to the guy. But even that did not spare him from some minor head butts. As for Fujima… His earlier resolve of staying away from the former was the only reason why he spared him from a major trip to the emergency room. Thus to lessen his frustration, he just cried, "I am not beautiful!" And then went to the nearest wall to render his thwarted punishment for Fujima. 

Aquatic twinkling eyes regarded the redhead's antics with amusement. Though he could not imagine the thoughts that went through that glorious head of his, he still couldn't help but think how delightful the other looked even when angered. _[Oh but you are.] He silently thought and would have continued teasing him but instead he said, "I'm sorry Hana. I didn't know that you have such a dislike from being called beautiful." Then reluctantly tore his gaze away to return to his task of preparing drinks for the both of them. "How about sharing a drink with me?" He questioned. _

Frustration somewhat relieved, the redhead returned to his seat but his brows furrowed upon the sudden question. "What for?" He clipped. 

Fujima did not turn from where he was standing and just continued preparing their drinks. "Do I have to have a reason? I just want to give a toast for your birthday, will that do?" He asked, pouring something into one of the wine glass before mixing it till it blended with the liquid. 

"No, it's ok." The brown-eyed boy replied with a frown. There was something really enigmatic about the guy that he couldn't quite get. Amongst the three who had volunteered for his birthday 'dating game' yesterday, Fujima's participation had surprised him the most. He could understand that the wild monkey might have joined just to irritate him, _[Which he had partially succeeded] and Sendoh's reason was all too clear for him to even ask why. But with Fujima…- chocolate colored eyes followed the shorter guy's movements who seemed to have finished preparing their drinks and was strolling casually towards him - … they were not close, though they have met occasionally, and sure he had seen him hang around the gym during practice and he had been a frequent spectator during their games but that's it. He couldn't imagine that those insignificant instances could actually make the other like him, let alone want to kiss him. __[One Hentai to get off my back is enough and adding this one would be suicide.] Voicing his question, "Just tell me one thing before my head explodes from thinking. Why the sudden interest in me?" He asked, deftly accepting the drink that was offered because his attention was entirely focused on the guy standing right in front of him. _

Fujima was startled and it was a good thing that his grip on his wine glass tightened or he might have actually dropped it. Being asked by his bestfriend about his interest over the redhead was one thing but being asked by Sakuragi himself was quite unsettling. He had not anticipated it thus he was momentarily caught unaware and his face might have showed his confusion or his inner turmoil because the other softly whispered his name, making him look straight into honey brown eyes but immediately looked away. 

Sakuragi's expressive eyes showed puzzlement and a hint of compassion in them that made Fujima want to forget tarnishing that transparent naivety and innocence that made the self-proclaimed tensai alluring to him in the first place. But no…he couldn't afford to be soft. Not while he still had unresolved issues within himself about the redhead and not while his craving for the boy was satisfied. 

Schooling his features, he turned to give the birthday boy a wistful smile then said, "I like you Hanamichi Sakuragi, a lot." He admitted and then in a low voice he added, "But I kept it hidden, until now." 

Taken aback_, [Whoah!!!] "You're joking right?" Sakuragi stammered, eyes wide in disbelief as he burrowed deeper into his chair, steadying his hands to avoid spilling the drink he was holding. __[Please say that you're joking.] He mentally pleaded but the guy in front of him just stood in his full height and was eyeing him with an expression that supports his statement. __[Guess not. Aarghh!!!! This day just gets better and better by the minute!] He mentally cried in exasperation, wanting to slam his head again on the unsuspecting wall. He had definitely not expected the somewhat sad admission from Shoyo's former heartthrob at all! His brain's assumption of the guy's intentions towards him only went as far as… well maybe, making him squirm for calling the older guy 'substitute' or 'shorty' or… even the thought of something as far fetched as the guy noticing his vast improvement in basketball__. [BUT NOT THAT!!!] He scowled. Those presumed reasons of his would have been acceptable and less surprising. Whereas the truth only made him uncomfortable, uneasy and downright tongue-tied! __[What could I possibly say to that?] He grimaced. Thus when he rummaged his brain for something coherent to say, he only managed to squeak a low, "I don't know what to say." __[Just perfect Hanamichi, you just have to sound stupid in front of Kanagawa's former number one point guard.] He berated himself. _

Fujima had to stifle a laugh when he saw the play of emotions that went through Sakuragi's equally expressive face and thought that he had never met anyone who could be as transparent as the redhead. Smiling tenderly, he said, "You don't have to say anything. Anyway, it's of no consequence now since you have Rukawa and well…" Shrugging, "Let's just forget about it." Hauling the other to his feet, he raised the glass to his lips and said, "Here's to you Hana-chan. May you have a happy birthday and I wish you happiness, always." 

Sakuragi smiled hesitantly and though he immediately tugged his hand away from the other, his brown eyes showed his gratitude for Fujima's effort to placate his jittery nerves. "Thank you," He replied before emptying his drink in just one gulp. Revitalized by the sweet taste of the champagne, Sakuragi asked, "So what now?" 

Taking their empty glasses, Fujima went back to the mini-bar then said, "Now… I need you to help me get something for the party." He stated, turning to grin at the fidgety boy by the chair, "Kiyota and I were supposed to get it earlier but we were not able to because of your arrival." He gaily informed him. 

Glad to have something better to do than stay cooped inside that room, Sakuragi beamed, "Sure." Before he sauntered quickly towards the door and had stopped only when he noticed that the other was still standing with a thoughtful look over at the bar. Opening the door, "Well? Are you just going to stand there and stare at me or what?" 

Fujima laughed and went to stand beside the boy. Reaching his side, he playfully pinched his nose and said, "I could just stay and stare at you Hana-chan but I know that you don't like that so… let's go." 

The birthday boy was temporarily rooted to where he was standing and was touching his nose. _[Damn it! Between him and Sendoh…] He didn't let his thoughts finished; instead he fell into silent step with Fujima and kept his face straight ahead. _

"Hey where are we going anyway?" Sakuragi asked after he had noticed that they were headed out of the house. 

"We're going to a bakery since we have to pick up your birthday cake." 

Chocolate colored eyes lit up at the mention of the word 'cake' and giddily stepped in front of the shorter guy, walking backwards in the process. "Cake? What kind of cake?" 

Laughing, "It's a cake that Kiyota and I had specially made to order just for you." 

"Really?" 

"Yes. If I had known that you'd be this excited over such a simple thing as cake then I would have given you tons of stuff to surprise you today." Fujima chuckled, fighting the urge to caress the boyish face in front of him. 

Resuming walking side by side with the slightly shorter guy, "Nah… The cake is just fine." He said, giving 'shorty' a thoughtful smile. After some thought, "You mean that, that wild monkey had actually spend money for me?" He inquired. 

Nodding towards Sendoh's butler who was opening the door for them, "The guy cares for you Hana-chan whether you believe it or not." He remarked. 

_[And he has to remind me of that.] Sakuragi thought with distaste. Remembering that kiss as well as the tender expression the wild Kainan player gave him in the study room was enough surprise to last him a lifetime, or so he had thought. "Yeah well… maybe. But it would still need a lot of getting use to. I mean, I have never thought Kiyota would actually…" He trailed, shaking his head to clear his mind of that revelation but it was stuck like glue. "Guess I just have to be nicer to him." He sighed in resignation. _

Fujima titled his head and stared at the guy beside him. There was no hint of anything on the redhead's face as well as on the tone he had used to make him doubt the sincerity behind that faltering statement. "And me?" He asked. He just had to know. 

Shading his eyes from the glare of the sun, Sakuragi thought for a while before he replied, "I can only promise friendship Fujima, nothing more." 

Lowering his gaze to the ground_, [Friendship… After this day, would you still consider to be friends with me or hate me?] Fujima thought with a twinge of sadness. Suddenly he felt the other bumped his side and it was a good thing that he had a strong foothold or they would have fallen to the ground. Supporting him with his weight, he asked, "What's wrong?" _

Holding his head, "I don't know. I just felt woozy all of a sudden and my vision went blurred. Maybe it's just the sun." The redhead replied and was thankful to Fujima when the latter helped him sit on the pavement. 

_[It's working… I must get him out of here at once!] Fujima thought in alarm. Audibly he said, "I'll just go check what's taking Sendoh's driver this long to get my car and then we'll be on our way Hana-chan. Stay here for while will you?" _

Eyes closed, Sakuragi held his head in his hands and was trying to control the dizziness that was threatening to engulf him when he vaguely heard a familiar female voice calling his name. Lifting his head, he saw Haruko and then Ayako alighting from a cab. "Haruko-san." He acknowledged in a low voice. 

While Ayako was paying the cabdriver, Haruko went up to him and saw the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead. "Are you sick Sakuragi-kun?" She asked, hiding her present from the redhead's view. 

The note of concern did not escape him. Forcing a smile, "I'm okay. Just feeling a bit dizzy. Guess I shouldn't have drunk the champagne that Fujima gave me earlier." 

"Champagne? This early? You should have known better Sakuragi Hanamichi. Remember the time that you ended up throwing up in Akagi-sempai's Christmas party last year?" Ayako reminded him. The said incident had proven to be one of the most embarrassing experiences of his life since he had puked all over the buffet table after being dared by Miyagi and Mitsui to drink 5 cans of beer straight without even bothering to pause after each can. That had been horrible. Not only did he have to endure Gori's continuous nagging but he also had to control his upset stomach all throughout the party and not to forget Rukawa's scolding afterwards. _[How was I to know that champagne had this much kick? Boy would Kitsune be mad when he knows about this.] He mentally groaned, fearing that he would be feeling like that up to their date later that night. _

"So, what are you doing out here?" Ayako asked. 

"I'm waiting for Fujima to come out. I promised to help him get my cake for the party." He replied wearily, feeling drained in a way. 

"I don't think you're up to it. Why don't you ask somebody from the party to go with him? I'm sure Fujima-san would understand Sakuragi-kun." Haruko questioned. 

Shaking his head as little as his dizziness would allow him to, he replied, "No." And then, "I gave him my word that I'll spend the next hour with him and the 'tensai' never backs down from his word Haruko-san." He stated, injecting the old Sakuragi humor to pacify the two girls. 

"Such a tensai you are. Just look where it got you." Ayako snorted. But before the redhead could answer, a black car stopped in front of them and Fujima came out from the passenger side. 

"My car's stuck in the garage so I just borrowed this car and Sendoh's driver, though I don't know whose car this is." Fujima said and then, "Good afternoon Ayako-chan, Akagi-chan." He greeted. 

"It's Kiminobu's." Ayako quickly supplied. 

Reaching the redhead's side, Fujima piped, "Kiminobu? You mean Kogure?" 

"Er… yes. He's my boyfriend." 

Smiling, "Wow, would wonder never cease. I never even knew that Kogure had it in him. So I guess I'll be seeing more of you in the University then." Fujima remarked and watched in amusement, as the girl's blush heightened after that statement. Helping the redhead to his feet, "Well, I'll be seeing you and do tell your boyfriend that we'll take good care of his car. Come Hana, we better get going." After bowing to Haruko and Ayako, both boys got into Kogure's car and sped off. 

"Did you just hear him call Sakuragi Hana?" Ayako asked the silent girl beside her. 

"Yes." Haruko softly replied, still worried about her friend. 

Tugging at Haruko's hand, "Come on, let's find the others. Maybe they could tell us why Fujima-san and Sakuragi became so chummy." 

After the butler had shown them the way to the party, Ayako and Haruko wasted no time in trying to reach the place but before they could even descend the rock made steps, Hikoichi came running up and implored if they could help him find Sendoh stating that since it's a huge house, the three of them would have a better chance of locating their elusive host. Seeing the logic behind the reason, both girls agreed and went with Hikoichi. 

************************************************* 

{Poolside} 

The party was in full swing when Sendoh rejoined the party. Some were enjoying a game of pool basketball while some were just lazing around and getting tanned in the process. He was so happy to see that even though he was not there to act as their host and even though the guest of honor had yet to make an appearance; Sakuragi's guests had made his home their own and entertained themselves. He had intended to return straight to the party after he had left Sakuragi with Fujima but the matter of preparing for 'his' time alone with the redhead had made him went for a little detour. It was a good thing that Kiyota had to leave abruptly after he had received a phone call from Jin, since it gave him the time he needed to make the necessary preparations. It took him about half an hour of meeting with the house chef, caterers and his butler before he could return to the party. 

Now as he watched the crowd of friends that gathered to wish Sakuragi a happy birthday, he suddenly felt the urge to return to the study room and drag Hana with him. But since he made a deal with Kiyota and Fujima beforehand, he decided to squash the urge and let Shoyo's former ace enjoy his time with the redhead. 

Stepping further away from the arc, he ventured to where a familiar face was chatting happily with two former Shohoku players. 

"Uozumi-san!" He called and was rewarded with a pat on his back by his former captain. 

"Sendoh! Nice party you have here." 

"Yeah, it was a nice idea to hold a pool party for Sakuragi's birthday." Kogure added. 

Akagi humped and then said, "That pool would be the perfect dumping ground if that idiot started doing something crazy again." 

Sendoh, Kogure and Uozumi all laughed after hearing that remark though only Uozumi shared Akagi's sentiment. "A nice idea Akagi. By the way, where is he? Is he late at his own party?" 

Sendoh shook his head and said, "He's with Fujima and they'll be joining us in a short while." Turning towards Kogure, "Er… Kogure-san, where's your girlfriend?" 

"She'll be a little late. She had to help Haruko with her birthday gift for Sakuragi." His spectacled senior supplied. "By the way, you just missed Hikoichi by 5 minutes, I think. He went looking for you." 

Raising one eyebrow, "Really?" He chirped. "Well, let's not worry about Hikoichi. He'll find me soon enough. Now, let's enjoy the party and make yourselves at home. Do help yourselves with all the food and beverages. I also had a bar setup with a bartender just waiting to fix you guys a drink." Sendoh offered. 

"Nothing for me. I don't want to wake up with a splitting headache tomorrow. But I think Mitsui will be, if those can of beers are any indication." Akagi remarked, nodding towards the scarred player by the pool with some others who were playing a game of truth or dare. "Don't you think serving liquor to a bunch of under aged idiots would not prove to be catastrophic later?" 

Laughing, "It's a party Akagi-san. I don't think a party would be lively without people loosening up a little now, do you?" Strolling to the group who were gathered in a circle by the pool, "Besides, I don't think Mitsui-san drunk all those cans. If anything, he still looks sober enough." He commented and as soon as they neared the small group, Mitsui was indeed barely drunk. 

Akagi, Sendoh, Uozumi and Kogure all stood for a while and watched the on-going game. After like 10 minutes or so, it was visibly obvious that only one within the group would be getting dangerously drunk. 

"Hey Mitsui what are you trying to do?" Kogure asked, squatting near his friend who was sporting a cheeky grin after handing over another can of beer to an already drunk mushroom head. 

Leaning close to his friend's ear, "I am trying to make Miyagi drunk." He whispered. 

"Why?" 

"Because that's the only way I could get him to admit his feelings for me." 

"I heard that Mitsui-san." Miyagi slurred after gulping the can of beer handed to him. 

"I told you to call me Hisashi!" The scarred player cried in frustration. 

Miyagi hiccupped then said, "Whatever," before he held his head between his hands and cried, "Ow! My head is spinning already. Aren't we through yet?" 

Laughing, "No we are not. Not till you choose truth and answer that one question honestly." Mitsui countered and was about to spin the bottle again when four sets of hands stopped him and simultaneously chimed, "Tell him!" 

"Ouch! Will you stop shouting please?" Miyagi yelled, glaring at Hasegawa, Mito, Noma and Koshino while holding his aching head. 

Hasegawa snorted, "It's your fault! Quit playing hard to get and say something!" He cried. 

Arms across his chest, "Yeah, this game is no fun if the bottle keeps pointing at you." Koshino added, while Noma and Mito were just grinning like idiots, obviously enjoying themselves and rooting for Mitsui to win. 

Sendoh and Uozumi chuckled and Kogure was about to comment when suddenly, "So that was why he kept on going back to Shohoku." Akagi audibly mused, remembering the numerous times he had questioned Mitsui about his frequent trips back to Kanagawa. The small group gathered laughed aloud when they saw the former MVP player blushing beet red after Akagi's statement. 

"Shut up!" Mitsui yelled, wishing to find a rock to crawl under. Suddenly a slender hand lifted his head and he found himself staring straight into a pair of shining eyes. "Ryochin…" He started but was silenced when the guy mentioned gave him a quick searing kiss and then broke away wearing a sheepish grin. 

"You're stupid, you know that? Seeing that you intend to drown me with alcohol to get your answer then the answer is YES, I do." Miyagi revealed, loving the dazed expression and then the satisfied smile that had appeared on Mitsui's rugged face. 

Getting up on one knee, Mitsui asked, "Really?" Seeing a nod, he happily jumped to his feet and was about to make a lunge at his petite beloved when Miyagi himself pushed him straight into the pool. 

"Mitsui!" Kogure and Akagi shouted. 

"Leave him." Miyagi said, waving a dismissal hand. "That guy needs to cool off." Turning to their host he inquired, "Where's the nearest bedroom? I need to rest this aching headache before Hanamichi arrives." After getting the direction, the former Shohoku point guard was about to head out when Kogure's voice halted him. 

"What about Mitsui?" 

"Him? Don't worry. He'll soon know where to find me. That guy has a sick sense of my whereabouts or something and it was a real pain trying to avoid that Hentai's advances for the past year." Pointing a finger towards Sendoh, "More like him with Hanamichi." 

Mito and Noma laughed at Sendoh's sudden imitation of a goldfish. "Boy are we a witness to that. It's a wonder that Rukawa never even once flattened that gelled hair of yours Sendoh." More laughter ensued as Sendoh looked mighty peeved at being reminded of that. 

Sighing, "But unlike Hanamichi, I was not able to get away from my hentai and stupidly fell for him. It took a lot of soul searching for me to even admit that I am gay let alone have feelings for someone who had literally sent me to the hospital before." 

"Don't worry Miyagi. Mitsui's a good guy. I'm sure he'll take good care of you." Kogure laughingly cajoled. 

"Easy for you to say." He retorted but then remembering the once crush of his life, "Or not. Aya-chan can also be a handful sometimes." Miyagi commented but only got a nod and a soft laugh from his senior. Looking past Sendoh's shoulder, "Er… Youhei, could you ask your friends to hold on to Hisashi for a while? I would like to get at least an hour of rest before he comes hounding me again." He requested, watching his 'new boyfriend' trying to get out of the pool but failing. 

Complying, Mito advised his two friends through a special hand language and Mitsui was nonetheless forced into playing pool basketball. 

After Miyagi saw Mitsui joining the game, he languidly stretched his arms upwards and said, "Thanks Youhei. Now I'm off to rest. Call me when Hanamichi shows up." With one last wave to the others, he disappeared through the arc. 

"And I am off to kick that former MVP's butt in the pool. I think it's high time that I beat him at something, since by the looks of it, I'm a better swimmer than that guy." Hasegawa said, leaving the group. 

Shaking his head, "I never knew April Fools' Day would be this popular among our friends. First it was Hanamichi and now Ryochin. Boy, would Hanamichi have a kick of hearing how that one came about." Mito chuckled. Then, "By the way, where is he?" 

Checking his watch, "Hmnn… he is with Fujima but I think it's time that I take him away. Wait here and I'll come back with Hana then we can have a real party." He chuckled and then left to claim the redhead from Fujima. 

************************************************ 

{Inside Kogure's car} 

Meanwhile… Sakuragi was almost falling into dreamland when he suddenly felt a hand on his forehead. Jerking awake, he turned inquisitive eyes to the guy beside him and was surprised by the tender caring look the other was giving him. Somehow he felt relaxed and calmed with what he saw in Fujima's eyes thus he said, "There's no need to worry Fujima." Lips twitching, "I think that champagne you gave me was spiked or something and it got me feeling like my head's on cloud nine." He added, gently shoving the hand that was massaging his forehead. 

It was a good thing for Fujima that the redhead had his eyes closed or he would have given himself away when he turned ashen after he had heard the other's remark about the drink. Sakuragi was not farther from the truth and he again heard that screaming voice in his head. _[Not yet.] He mentally chastised himself. Collecting his thoughts together "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked. _

Without opening his eyes, "I already said that I am. Besides it would take much more than one glass to actually knock me out." He assured him and then, "So how long before we get to this bakery we're going?" 

"It's not that far but you could rest for while if you want to." The brown-haired boy replied. 

Nodding his head a little, "Maybe I'll feel a lot better after I sleep this off for a while." Sakuragi stated and shifted so he could rest his nape against the soft cushion of the seat, tilting his head to his side. 

Within minutes, Fujima could already see the steady rising and falling of Sakuragi's chest, a clear indication that the redhead had fallen asleep. With steady hands, he gently brushed back the tendrils of red that were falling on the other's forehead and lingered for a while to rub his thumb on the sleeping guy's temple. _[Just a few more minutes Hana-chan… Just a few more minutes and then…] Fujima's train of thought stopped at that point since he was dumbstruck when Sakuragi suddenly shifted and turned to rest his crimson head on his chest, murmuring a name that was unmistakable. __[He's dreaming of him.] He thought and felt a pang of jealousy. Squashing that feeling away, he then focused his attention to the warm and supple body that was deliciously half-lying on him and felt the same heat that had coursed through his body earlier in the study room. Tentatively, he dropped his arm that got suspended in mid-air onto Sakuragi's right side and quelled the urge to let his hand seek bare flesh. Taking a deep breath, Fujima leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he tried to keep a tight rein on his raging hormones. __[This is not the right place.] _

After a few more minutes, "Sir we're here." Fujima heard the driver announced. Snapping his eyes open, he hastily gave instructions to the driver to go inside and to inform the manager to just deliver the cake to Sendoh's house. Reaching to get his wallet, he flipped it open and managed to get his name card and gave it to Sendoh's driver to show it to the manager as proof. It took only about 5 minutes before the driver came back. 

"Are we going back now Sir?" 

"No. Not yet. Head to that address written in that name card." Fujima informed him and watched as the driver scanned the address. Without another word, the driver nodded his head and they sped off again. 

Satisfied with how things were turning to his advantage, Fujima leaned back again in his seat and drew the sleeping boy closer to his so he could have the pleasure of inhaling the heavenly fragrance that was Hanamichi Sakuragi. _[Soon my lovely fire angel… I'll have you soon.] With that thought in mind, the blue-eyed pretty boy tightened his hold on his so-called 'angel' and a small smile played on his lips in anticipation. _

************************************************* 

{Sendoh's house} 

Whistling along the corridor, Sendoh was about to enter the study room when the butler told him of three other guests that didn't want to be shown to where the party was being held but instead, asked to talk to him alone. 

Puzzled, Sendoh followed the butler and was really surprised that the guests turned out to be the odd combination of Hanagata, Maki and … "Rukawa". The minute their eyes met, Sendoh recognized the underlying meaning behind the glare that was being given to him and he smiled knowingly. 

**********************

To be continued......

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As promised.... sorry for the delay guys and oh.. don't hesitate to give me reviews and stuff.... me like reading what you guys think of it... I'll be returning very soon with the next update... it is very near the end... Hope you guys like it so far....


	7. Painful Truth

************************************************* 

PART 07: PAINFUL TRUTH 

************************************************* 

{Sendoh's House – The Den} 

"Now this is something you don't see everyday." He commented, flashing his sizzling smile to the three serious looking men. 

"…" 

_[Tough crowd.] He thought. Taking note of their sullen faces, Sendoh couldn't help but think that he was about to get a bad news or something. But being the cheerful person that he was, he maintained his cheery disposition and calmly faced the only person in the room whose silence was not a thing of surprise. "It's always nice to see you, Rukawa. But…" He trailed, sneaking a glance to the other two occupants of the room before locking gaze once again to a pair of icy blue eyes that were speaking volumes. "What's with the sudden need for privacy?" He asked, leaning against the wall and waited for whatever Rukawa had to say to him. _

The tensed interchange between the two blue-eyed brunettes had not gone unnoticed, but Hanagata chose to ignore it whilst Maki's only concern was his blue-eyed angel's whereabouts. Thus it was really not a surprise when the tanned player interjected, "Where's Kenji?" 

Tearing his amused face away from the openly glaring Rukawa, Sendoh turned to Kainan's former ace and said, "Kenji? Oh, you mean Fujima! He's in the study room." 

Finding his voice, Rukawa asked, "And Hanamichi?" 

_[Not so fast Rukawa.] Sendoh thought and then decided to have a little fun with the pale-faced beauty. "I'm surprised that it took you this long before coming to be with your redhead. Are you that confident that Hana won't be taken away from you? Not even by someone like me?" He goaded and watched in satisfaction as something akin to surprise and then fear flickered across the handsome face. But his amusement was short lived as he unexpectedly found himself sprawled on the floor with a bleeding lip after failing to avoid Rukawa's fist. _

Barely suppressing the urge to vent his pent up anger to his long time rival he declared, "No one can take Hana away from me Sendoh." _[Not even you.] As he eyed the player on the floor with fury in his sapphire eyes he then gritted, "Now where is he?" _

Sendoh wiped the blood that was oozing from his lip as he stood up to his full length and glowered to the slightly shorter player before saying, "Such confident words Rukawa but, are you convincing me or yourself?" 

"I'm sorry to interrupt Sendoh but could you just answer the question? We really need to find Kenji and Sakuragi." Hanagata cried. 

Sendoh's lips twitched into a feeble attempt of a smile but still continued his glaring match with his icy nemesis. "I will Hanagata-san. But first, I just want to rock Rukawa's perfect little world a bit." He stated. Sporting a smirk, "No one can take Hana away from you? You think that highly of your relationship… KAEDE?" He spat. 

Rukawa's eyes narrowed into slits and gritted, "What's your point Sendoh?" 

Chortling, "My point?" Laughing out loud, "My point is, Mr. Rukawa, that as of this very moment, your beautiful redhead is spending time alone with none other than, Mr. Pretty Boy himself, Fujima." Sendoh gleefully imparted. 

"WHAT?" Maki and Hanagata both exclaimed while Rukawa went rigid after hearing that remark. Jealousy shot through his system like a rocket but he stood his ground. His first priority was to locate his boyfriend and he could wait till later to pummel the stupidly grinning spikey haired player in front of him and Fujima, if he so ever touches his Hana. 

Maki purposely walked past Rukawa to face the spikey haired player. "Take me there at once." He said. It was not a request but an order. 

Taken aback, "What's the matter with you?" Sendoh asked, unconsciously backing away from the imposing tanned player. 

"Maki is Fujima's boyfriend Sendoh, or ex-boyfriend, since Fujima had just broken up with him this morning and I have a hunch that it has something to do with Sakuragi." Hanagata supplied, staring straight into Sendoh's clear blue eyes. 

"What?" Sendoh gasped. Now it was his turn to be shocked though he still had not gotten the gist of the whole situation yet. "Fujima and Maki-san? But they're rivals for God' sake!" He exclaimed. But then Hanagata pointed Rukawa and the meaning hit him hard in the gut. "Oh yeah, I forgot." He said with distaste. 

"Stop with the nonsense and take me to where he is." Maki insisted. 

Suddenly sporting a thoughtful expression, Ryonan's former ace distanced himself from both Maki and Rukawa to stand beside the tall spectacled player. "Tell me one thing Hanagata-san, why do you think Hana's the reason for the break up?" He asked. He was really curious to hear the answer because it might just satisfy his curiosity as to why Fujima was adamant to have the time alone with the redhead. The one-hour time allotment was also Fujima's idea and if it were not for the fact that it would also benefit him, he would not have forgotten to ask the guy for his motive. 

"We have no time for that Sendoh." Hanagata replied. 

Brows furrowed, "Why not? It's not as if Fujima's going anywhere with Hana, besides they're just talking." 

"What makes you so sure?" Maki questioned. 

Turning to face Maki, "I just know okay?" Sendoh answered and turned once again to the tall spectacled guy. "Well?" 

Sighing, Hanagata raked his hand on his hair and wearily said, "It's not my story to tell but if Maki and Rukawa says that it's ok, then I will." 

Both Hanagata and Sendoh first turned to the tanned player and seeing a nod, both turned to the raven head but he was not where he was standing before. Scanning the room, Hanagata found him staring outside the window with his hands balled into fist. _[Hang in there, Rukawa.] He mentally encouraged. Decision made, Hanagata squared his shoulders and started disclosing the same information he had given Maki and Rukawa to Sendoh in a fast pace manner. Time was of the essence and he would not let another relationship be broken if he could help it. _

************************************************* 

{Poolside} 

"Youhei, where are you going?" Noma called, taking two steps at a time to reach his friend's side. 

Without even looking at his mustached friend, "I'm going to follow Sendoh. I'm worried about Hanamichi. I don't think we should have left him earlier." He replied. 

Falling behind Mito to pass under the arc, "What could possibly happen to him?" 

Frowning, Mito stopped and turned around to stare at Noma. "I really don't know. It may be nothing but still… Anyway, why don't you just stay here and watch out for those two." He said, looking at a slowly getting drunk Ookusu and an overstuffed sleeping Takamiya by the pool. 

Noma followed his friend's line of sight and nodded his understanding but not before asking, "Are you sure you want to go by yourself?" 

Laughing in spite of his worry over their missing friend, "Like I said, it may be nothing and besides Hanamichi and I could take anyone anytime. You know that." Mito boasted and then went to catch Sendoh. 

************************************************* 

{The Den} 

The silence that had filled the car on their way to Sendoh's place was very much the same silence that the four people inside the Den were experiencing at that moment. Hanagata was completely drained while Maki and Rukawa would have wanted to be spared of another retelling of that story whereas Sendoh was just plain stunned. 

After the initial shock had subsided, "Fujima had kept this hidden that long?" Sendoh exclaimed, finally breaking the silence. 

Unable to utter another word, Hanagata just nodded his head, sitting on a nearby chair. 

"Now will you take us there?" Maki questioned, growing impatient to talk to his boyfriend. 

Still a bit dazed with the revelation, the spikey haired player nodded his head and all four of them went out of the room. 

Just a minute after stepping out of the room, Maki questioned, "What makes you think that they're just talking anyway?" 

"Because Fujima's been itching to see and talk to Hana since this morning. He was even more impatient than I was when we were waiting for birthday boy to arrive." Sendoh chuckled in remembrance but stopped in his tracks when Maki stopped walking. Facing the once Kanagawa's number one, Sendoh mentally slapped himself when he saw jealousy written all over the other's face. "Er… I'm sorry Maki-san, I didn't mean…" 

Waving a hand, "No. It's ok." Resuming his walk, "Did Kenji say what he wanted from Sakuragi?" 

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sendoh was about to take a step forward when he felt goose bumps pricking the back of his neck, turning, he met a pair of blue eyes that could give him frost bites. "Jealous Rukawa?" He taunted and smirked when the latter walked past him and mumbled, "He's mine Sendoh." 

Irked by the tone of possessiveness, he thought, _[In your dreams Rukawa. I would not loose him to you, yet.] With that, Sendoh resumed walking and fell into step with the waiting Maki and answered the hanging question. "No, he didn't. Fujima was tight lip about that and I even questioned him before I left Hana with him but that boyfriend of yours shooed me out saying that Hana was the only one who needs to know his reasons." _

Turning a corner, "I've always known that Fujima was deadly on court but today… he looked…" Sendoh faltered. 

"What? He looked like what?" Maki pressed. 

Shaking his head, "I don't know. He had that determined look. It was as if he's playing for the championships or something." He tried surmising and then, "His eyes had that glint which clearly says, 'stay away from my business', that sort of thing." He sighed, head bent low as if trying to recapture what he had seen in Fujima's eyes, thus he was oblivious to the intent stares that were being given to him by his three companions. Then suddenly he chuckled and said, "Guess it might just be the alcohol that made him look serenely dangerous." 

Hanagata stiffened when he heard that. "Kenji's been drinking?" He asked and stopped in mid-stride.

Smiling towards the spectacled player, Sendoh stopped as well and replied, "Drowning himself was more like it. I think he had drunk at least three cans of beer and had shots of vodka at the study room earlier but he could still stand and walk straight." Grinning in remembrance, "That guy could sure hold his alcohol. If it were me, just mixing those two drinks would sure make me drunk by now." He stated.

_[Oh but you don't know Kenji Sendoh. He could hold his alcohol alright but he's a different guy altogether when he drinks.] "How long ago did you leave them anyway?" Hanagata questioned._

Checking his watch, "A little over an hour ago." The spikey haired player said and continued walking.

"WHAT? You left them that long ago?"

Three heads turned to see the horrified and worried expression on the spectacled player. But Hanagata was unmindful of their stares. _[An hour was enough to…] Shaking his head, __[No I won't think that of Kenji. He would not and could not go through with it… even if he is drunk.] He mentally argued. But even so, his friend had once gotten purposely drunk just so he could do something that he totally wouldn't do if he was sober… take the first step to admit his feelings for Kainan's ace. __[It was a good thing that Maki had felt the same or else…] Dragging his thoughts away from the past, Hanagata focused his attention on the present. "Let's go Sendoh." He called and stunned the blue-eyed brunette when he fiercely gripped his arm to continue on their way. _

Sendoh was about to cry out something to the guy who was literally carrying him when someone called his name. 

All four imposing guys stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the 'not intimated stance' and 'determined' looking Mito. "Where's Hanamichi, Sendoh?" He asked, ignoring the baleful glare that a certain raven head was throwing his way. 

"Hana sure is in demand today." Sendoh tried joking but no one was buying, thus he resignedly said, "He is in the next room." Then proceeded to remove himself from Hanagata's grasp and opened the said door. 

Once inside, "Where is he?" Mito asked after an empty room received them. 

Raking his hand over his gelled hair, "I swear that we left them here an hour ago." Sendoh replied, his face showing the first signs of worry. 

"We?" Maki questioned.

Nodding his head, he answered, "Kiyota and I." 

_[This is not good.] Hanagata thought in dismay, imitating Sendoh's action by raking his fingers through his hair and then he saw something on the floor that made his heart jump in his throat. Without second thoughts, he hurriedly went over to pick it up for close inspection and shut his eyes when his fears were confirmed, praying to all the God's in heaven to stop his friend, wherever he was. _

"But I thought you and Fujima were the only ones with Hanamichi? What's going on Sendoh?" Mito asked threateningly, he didn't like the idea that his bestfriend had to contend with three guys on his birthday and without the four of them to support him. 

Assuming that Sakuragi's friend was about to start the whole 'let's question Hanagata' trend again, "No time for that. We have to find them fast." He hurriedly interjected, getting frantic with worry. "How many rooms do you have? I think we should separate to cover more grounds." He added. 

"Rooms?" Sendoh and Maki looked at the spectacled guy inquisitively while Mito just nodded his head in agreement and was just about ready to go out of the room again, as for Rukawa… The fox-eyed player seemed to be immersed in a world of his own, tuning out everything as he wandered around the room in hopes of feeling the essence of his beloved. Finding none, he wearily sat on a chair that was farthest from the door and buried his face in his hands. _[Hana where are you?] He mentally cried in anguish. _

Oblivious to a certain player's misery, Sendoh and Maki cornered Hanagata. "What's with that expression?" Maki queried and his eyes were piercing through Hanagata as if trying to read what the other was thinking. 

Looking away, "Nothing. I just want to find Kenji and Sakuragi at once." The spectacled guy answered. 

"I don't think that's it Hanagata-san." Sendoh interjected. Sidestepping Maki, "I think you're still keeping something so say it already." He persisted. 

Sendoh's comment jarred Rukawa into full awareness of the on-going conversation and he found himself waiting breathlessly for Hanagata's answer. It was rare that he had to agree to something Sendoh would say but what his rival had noticed was true. There was that worried expression and the unmistakable fear that the tallest guy had expressed earlier in the hall before Mito appeared. Standing up, he donned his cold mask to veil any remnants of his earlier weakness and bridged the gap between him and the others. Reaching their side, "What are you hiding?" He asked in all seriousness. 

Hanagata was left in no doubt about the severity of the question but he was still adamant to stick to his decision thus he replied, "I can't." Shaking his head, "I don't want to hurt you guys further." He mumbled, the last phrase was said more to himself than for the others. 

But Rukawa had heard and felt something like a butcher knife was poised to strike his heart the moment he opened his mouth to say, "What are you trying to shield us from?" 

When he lifted his head, Shoyo's former center turned sad eyes towards the person in the room that he knew would be the most affected if he did say it. "Please don't make me Rukawa. I… I don't want to cause you more pain or unnecessary worry." He beseeched. 

_[More pain? Worry? WHAT?] If ever, Rukawa's resolve to know what it was strengthened even more after that remark and felt fear that something was happening to his beloved as they speak. "I don't care about myself! If it concerns Hanamichi then I have to know. Please." He openly begged. _

"No!" Hanagata suddenly replied in a firm tone. "I can't say anything until I see Kenji!" He yelled, making the younger brunette stagger backwards. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, but you're just too persistent for your own good. I know what you feel but it is better this way. Trust me on this." 

Eyes blazing with anger and frustration, Rukawa straightened himself then said, "Trust you?" He spat, walking a step closer to Hanagata. "Trust you?" He repeated, edging closer. "TRUST YOU?" He barely yelled, as he stood right in front of the guy who he wanted to shake till his brains fell out. "How can I trust someone whose only concern seems to be centered on the guy that might hurt the man that I love? Can you explain the logic in that?" He questioned in a deadly tone that told everybody in the room that he was almost in the brink of loosing his control. 

Sendoh just watched the normally silent Shohoku forward in his tirade and actually shared his sentiment. He might still be jealous of him but he finally recognized the guy's position as Hana's boyfriend. "I think you better tell him Hanagata-san. I hate to tell you this but Rukawa's not the best person to rile, if you know what I mean." He tried jesting, pointing to his cut lip. 

But Hanagata just looked at them with a stern expression on his face and in a calm and clear tone he said, "I'm not riling anybody and if you guys want to waste more time by staying here then, be my guest." He said. 

Turning around, Hanagata was about to walk towards the door that was still being held open by a very confused and silent Mito when a pale hand firmly grasped his arm to turn him back around and the next thing he knew, he was staggering backwards from Rukawa's blow on his jaw. 

"My my my… you are definitely itching to ram that fist of yours on human flesh, aren't you Rukawa?" Sendoh chortled, licking his cut lip and wincing when he felt its soreness. Turning towards the spectacled guy, "Don't say I didn't warn you." He reminded him. 

Rubbing his bruised jaw, Hanagata straightened himself and the flare of anger on his face was quite identifiable. "You really want to know Rukawa?" He asked. Seeing a nod, he turned towards the silent bystander and asked, "How about you Maki?" 

"Like Rukawa said, I don't care about myself. Just say it." Maki firmly replied. 

Facing the raving raven head, "Well then, what if I tell you that Fujima's thinking of taking Sakuragi away from you? Would you still be asking me these questions instead of looking for your boyfriend?" He revealed and the only satisfaction he could really accept from the situation was the look of pure horror on Rukawa's face after choking a weak, "What?" and then a "Why?" before he heard the twin gasps from both Sendoh and Maki. 

Looking dead straight into Rukawa's eyes, "Kenji IS that fixated over your boyfriend but as for his reasons…" Shaking his head, "Only Kenji knows the answer to that." He replied and watched with guilt when the young brunette turned ashen. 

After a few seconds of eerie silence, "Rukawa…" He tried calling but the other already had a faraway look, almost like in a trance, whilst Maki and Sendoh still had that expression of disbelief on their faces. Mito, on the other hand, remained standing near the doorway, unmoving and silent but the look of confusion and surprise on his face told him that the dark haired guy was totally clueless. _[God what a mess! I have to at least say something to him. He is Sakuragi's friend and he has a right to know.] Hanagata thought, raking his hand over his dark tresses. _

Hanagata was about to walk towards Mito when he was suddenly jerked back and met a pair of glistening brown eyes. "Why Hanagata? What kind of hold does Sakuragi have over Kenji? Tell me!" Maki suddenly exclaimed, fisting the taller guy's collar before crumbling to the floor with tears streaming down his face all the while saying, "Why Kenji? Why did you have to leave me? Just because of him? Why?" Maki cried in pain, finally breaking down.

The tall spectacled guy shut his eyes, first Rukawa and then Maki. _ The truth shall set you free. [Another stupid saying.] He mentally cursed. So far the truth had been nothing but pain. Was it his fault? Should he blame himself? Shaking his head, __[No. It could not be helped. The least I could do is to try and get to Kenji at once.]_

Going down on one knee so he could be leveled with the tanned player, "I'm so sorry Maki. Please stop being like this. Kenji loves you. I know he does. Just believe in that." He said in a low tone and was about to help the guy to his feet when Sendoh suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head while saying, "Leave him to wallow in his pain Hanagata-san, he needs it."

Silence once again filled the room as Sendoh, Hanagata and Mito gave Rukawa and Maki time to somehow bounce back while thinking as to where they could search for the missing duo. But not for long… 

"Mito-san!!!! Have you seen Sendoh-san?" A loud voice that came from outside the door Mito was keeping open suddenly echoed inside the study room. 

First to react, "He's inside." Mito supplied, pointing inside the room. 

Hikoichi's eyes lit up and was about to enter when the person he was looking for suddenly came out and asked, "What do you want Hikoichi?" He was kind of taken aback with the tone of irritation he detected from his idol's voice but when he sneaked a peak inside the room and saw Shohoku's Ice Prince, he then smiled his understanding. "I was just going to tell you that the bakery called and asked if someone's going to pickup the cake or do they deliver it." 

Slapping his forehead none too gently, "God I have totally forgotten about it. Fujima and Kiyota were supposed to pick it up earlier." Sendoh grimaced. 

"But he did." A female voice suddenly intervened from the direction where Hikoichi came from. Not long after, another female emerged from the shadows and together they strode next to the three people who stood chatting in the hallway. 

"Ayako-san? Haruko?" 

Both girls gave the surprised looking Mito a grin before they turned to their elusive host and Ayako said, "Don't worry about the cake, Fujima-san and Sakuragi went to pick it up." 

"Hanamichi?"… "Fujima?"… "You saw them?" Sendoh and Mito simultaneously cried. 

Nodding her head, "About 20 minutes or so ago." Ayako confirmed and she was just about ready to tell them about it when Hanagata and a dejected looking Maki surprisingly came out of the room. All of a sudden Ayako found herself being bombarded with questions about Sakuragi and Fujima. Confused as to why the others were seemingly over interested, Ayako was about to blurt out a question to them when her eyes suddenly caught sight of another figure that was left alone inside the room. Immediately, her feet carried her towards that direction and she was shocked when she saw the look of anguish on her normally impassive junior. 

"Rukawa-kun…" She heard Haruko stammer from behind. Turning around, "It's alright Haruko. I'll handle this. Go tell the others about Sakuragi and Fujima-san will you?" She coaxed and shooed the younger girl out the door. 

Glad that Haruko had listened to her, she ventured further inside the room and stood beside her former junior. "Rukawa? Hey Rukawa? Are you okay?" Ayako softly called, tugging the silent boy's sleeve. But Rukawa was still unresponsive. Getting worried, she resorted into shaking the guy none too gently and blurted, "Hey Rukawa snap out of it. Did you and Sakuragi have a fight or something?" The loud shrill of her voice carried itself across the room which made the others look at her in surprise but she was unmindful of them. Her sole attention was on the guy who seemed to be in a painful trance and though her voice could have roused the dead, Rukawa gave no indication that he had heard her. _[I think I like him better as brooding and a loner than in love but in obvious pain like this.] She thought. _

"It's no use Ayako-san. It's better if you leave him be for a while." Mito advised, standing next to the lady brunette.

"But…" She started and would have argued if Mito had not suddenly said, "He'll be fine." With that, Ayako did not pursue her 'would be' line of questioning but continued to rouse her junior by softly calling his name over and over again.

Rukawa, on the other hand, was totally oblivious to his former manageress' presence in the room and he was not even aware that his face was showing the turmoil raging inside of him.

_ Fujima's thinking of taking Sakuragi away from you _

_ Fujima's thinking of taking Sakuragi away from you _

_ Fujima's thinking of taking Sakuragi away from you _

_ Fujima's thinking of taking Sakuragi away from you … _

Those words were the only ones he could hear ever since Hanagata had uttered them and everything faded out into oblivion after that. 

_[No! No one's taking Hana away from me. Not Sendoh or Fujima! Not anybody!] Rukawa had kept countering, over and over again. But something… there was something that made him stop the sick loop that he was going through and then two emotions had broken free, anger and fear. Anger for the guy who would attempt to take his beloved away and Fear for the distinct possibility that that guy might succeed. Both emotions were close to bringing him down, but he couldn't afford to, not yet anyway, not till he could find his Hana, his loud and lively redhead. _

With his smiling Hana's face slowly floating back in his head, he eventually mustered enough mental strength to control his wayward emotions and break free from the torment that he was thrown to. Gradually, he could hear voices around him and a familiar female voice that was calling his name penetrated his senses. Shaking his head a little, Rukawa schooled himself before he turned to the voice and faced Ayako with an expression that was like the Rukawa of old.

The lady brunette smiled and never thought that she would be happy to see Rukawa's icy expression back on his face. "That's the spirit Rukawa. Now go get your 'aho before he eats all that cake by himself." She stated which made Mito sweatdrop with the knowledge that Shohoku's former manageress' deepest concern was that Hanamichi's going to stuff himself with cake. 

Of course Ayako was just joking but Rukawa need not know that. Instead she said, "Take care of yourself Rukawa and take good care of Sakuragi for us too, will you?" 

After giving Ayako a nod, Rukawa turned to the others and was in time to hear Sendoh asking frantically for Kogure's car phone number. _[What? Why would he want to call Kogure-sempai?] He wondered. But he was soon enough given a run down by Mito with the events that had happened while he was caught up in his own misery. _

_ Maki's breakdown. _

_ Sakuragi accompanying Fujima to the bakery. _

_The champagne. _

_ Sakuragi's state when Ayako and Haruko saw him. _

_The promise that Sakuragi had made to Fujima. _

_ Sakuragi and Fujima getting into Kogure's car. _

_ Sendoh asking for the car phone number to get a hold of his driver. _

_ The address and phone number of the bakery that the pair went to which they got from Hikoichi. _

After hearing that, Rukawa was suddenly mobilized into action, glad that somehow he had a lead as to where he could find his Hana and purposely ignored the other information. As soon as Ayako gave them Kogure's car phone number and license plate, Rukawa, Mito, Sendoh, Maki and Hanagata hurriedly went outside and got into two cars, Sendoh and Rukawa's. Leaving the two girls confused and bewildered while Hikoichi was disgruntled since he was given instructions by the host to take care of everything while they were away and to not say anything about what or where they were going but immediately inform him if Sakuragi or Fujima returned. 

************************************************ 

{Somewhere in Kanagawa} 

A black car stopped in front of what seems like a townhouse of sort that was situated some distance away from Shoyo High School. A rather tall brown-haired guy got out of the car and asked the driver for his help to carry the semi-conscious redhead inside the house. Upon doing so, the driver had totally missed the shrill ringing of the phone inside the car. 

************************************************ 

{Sendoh's Car} 

"Well?" Sendoh asked, keeping his eyes straight on the road in front of him but he had no idea where they were supposed to head. 

"Your stupid driver just won't answer!" Maki cried in frustration as he tried for the 5th time to call Kogure's car phone. 

Slamming his hand hard on the wheel, "Damn! How do we know where to look? The manager of the bakery already said that Fujima had the cake delivered. Where could they have possibly gone afterwards?" Sendoh exclaimed, turning left on a corner that would lead them opposite the bakery's direction. 

_[Where are you Kenji? Where did you take Sakuragi?] Hanagata pondered. Then suddenly a thought struck him and he cursed himself for being remiss. Leaning forward, "Head to Shoyo High Sendoh." He barked, startling the two anxious looking players sitting in the front. _

"Why?" Maki quipped. 

_[Should I tell him?] He thought but then, __[What the heck. I already told them the painful stuff at least this surprise would make him feel better, I hope.] Facing his bestfriend's lover, "Fujima bought a beach house near our school for the both of you and he was supposed to show it to you this coming Wednesday – April 4th. " He conveyed. But then he saw Maki's face darkened thus he questioned, "What? You're not happy with the news? It was supposed to be his anniversary gift for you." _

Shifting in his seat so he could stare straight ahead, "You're forgetting that he had broken up with me Hanagata and presuming that that's where we're headed, you think that I would feel happy in knowing that he's taking Sakuragi instead of me?" Maki argued in a painful voice. 

"Maki-san" Sendoh said in a soft voice, feeling the other's pain. 

"Drive Sendoh. Don't worry about me. I'll get Kenji back." He assured him and then something odd suddenly struck him. "What makes you think that Kenji's bringing Sakuragi there anyway? They could be anywhere by now." He queried, shifting so he could see Hanagata's face. 

Hanagata gave Maki a worried look before he sighed and said, "Could be, but it's the best place that I could think of, considering some facts." 

"Facts? What facts? Are you still keeping something from us?" Maki cried, fearful as to what revelation he might hear again from the 'oh so knowledgeable of Kenji' spectacled brunette. 

Leaning against his seat, "First, there's that sick need of Kenji to get Sakuragi alone so he could determine the extent of his feelings for the guy, though I don't really know how he could possibly accomplish that. Second, basing this assumption on what little I know of Sakuragi, I'm guessing that Kenji would have a difficult time in achieving that since Sakuragi would not just bow and go along with whatever Kenji might have in mind. With me so far?" He paused and looked at Maki. 

"I could vouch for the second one Hanagata-san. Hana is one of the stubbornness people that I know and he would definitely not purposely make Rukawa jealous by going alone with Fujima, let alone do stuff that he himself would not tolerate. He made that condition himself before he agreed to our request." Sendoh supplied, checking the rear view mirror to see if the said jealous guy's car was still tailing them. 

Looking back and forth from Sendoh to Hanagata, "So?" 

Mentally thanking Ryonan's departing ace, "So… that brings me to the third fact which is this." Hanagata said as he took something from his pocket and showed it to Maki. 

Taking the emptied satin sheet paper, "What is this?" Maki questioned, perplexed. 

"THAT should contain the drug that I was researching and THAT could make Kenji's endeavor easier to accomplish." 

"What?" Both Sendoh and Maki exclaimed. 

Taking a deep breath, "I was researching on hallucinogen drugs or perception altering drugs or mood swing drugs, which ever you would like to call it. But bottom line is, it's a drug which I think Kenji would or had already used on Sakuragi." He confessed. 

Maki had a huge disbelief crossing his face when he asked, "Why would you even think that Kenji would be capable of doing that?" 

"How would you explain that empty foil then if Kenji didn't use it on Sakuragi? Have you seen one of this Sendoh?" 

Sneaking a glance on the said foil, "No." 

"See? Besides, what Haruko and Ayako said about how Sakuragi had looked strengthened my belief that Kenji had drugged him and knowing that, I don't think your boyfriend would just bring him to the park or somewhere where he could not possibly support a man heavier than him. Could you?" Hanagata stated. 

Though it made sense, Maki could still not bring himself to believe that his boyfriend would stoop that low. Drugging someone? "But why?" Maki voiced. 

Shaking his head, "Only Kenji knows the answer to that whereas I could only speculate and I think that his main goal was to weaken Sakuragi and when mixed with alcohol, he would be knocked out cold." 

"Why? What does that drug do?" Sendoh suddenly asked because the thought that the redhead was drugged and in danger was making his mind reel with worry. 

Looking outside the window, "I could only tell you what I have researched so far. Well, the drug normally takes around 30 to 60 minutes before taking its effect but it depends on the dosage. The drug's effects are unpredictable and may vary with the amount ingested and the user's personality, mood, expectations, and surroundings. Users of the drug may experience dizziness, sweating, tremors, disorientation, perceptive alteration and hallucination; but the drug's major effects are emotional and sensory. The user's emotions may shift rapidly through a range from fear to euphoria, with transitions so rapid that the user may seem to experience several emotions simultaneously. But what this drug was supposed to be known for is that the user's sensory perceptions would be highly intensified." Hanagata ended, turning away from the window to lean his head back against his seat while kneading his throbbing forehead. 

After Hanagata's explanations, Sendoh's mind suddenly drifted back to something Fujima had said in the study room earlier. _ Rest assured that if and when I do kiss you… I'll make sure that it will be pleasurable for the both of us. _

Eyes widening in horror_, [God please no. If Fujima used that on Hana and he tried… No! I would not think that.] Sendoh mentally chastised himself but still, the fear he was feeling inside could not be ignored and his hands tightened their hold on the wheel till the knuckles turned white. _

Maki, on the other hand, could not accept or entertain the thought that his boyfriend would be that desperate to get Sakuragi. "No. I don't believe that. I won't believe it. Kenji would not do it." He denied with vehemence. Shifting so he could face the front, "How did he get this anyway?"

Sighing, "He knew where I was keeping it since he was actually helping me with the research and all." Hanagata confessed. 

Maki leaned his head against his seat and closed his eyes. Kneading his forehead, "I think you better call Rukawa and tell him where we're going. But omit any information about this drug. I don't think he could handle anymore of your revelations and so do I." He stated, feeling weary and drained from everything that had happened. 

************************************************ 

{Rukawa's Car} 

After Hanagata had called and informed them of their new destination, Mito pocketed the celfone that Sendoh had lent to him since Rukawa could not use his and was rendered silent in the back seat to mull over the events that had happened. He had never thought that their innocent enough prank of yesterday's dating game would have such unthinkable results. Sure they were satisfied that they had at least helped Hanamichi in making Rukawa open up about their relationship in public but it had also opened up lots of complications that would have been better left hidden and untouched. He was still unsure and unclear with the issue regarding Fujima and Hanamichi since nobody had explained anything to him but the stuffs that he had heard and witnessed inside the study room was enough for him to be worried and sympathize with Rukawa's reaction. The guy loves his friend and he was actually thankful for it but the feeling that Rukawa was also, in a way, blaming him and the others for Hanamichi's disappearance was in no way calming his nerves. 

Voicing his thoughts, "Oi Rukawa. Are you blaming us for what happened to Hanamichi?" He questioned, gently tapping Rukawa on the shoulder but Mito only got the cold shoulder. _[Well what did you expect? A full sentence speech saying that it was not your fault? Come on, that's Rukawa you're talking to.] His mind rebuked, much to his consternation and annoyance. _

Sighing in defeat, he slumped back in his seat and casually said, "For what it's worth, we did not want anything to happen to Hanamichi. He's our friend and we care for him too but Hanamichi can take care of himself, he's the strongest in our group so I wouldn't worry that much if I were you."

_[Yes he is but he is an innocent in a lot of ways and I'm afraid that Fujima would take advantage of that.] Without even turning around, "Ask them if they know of a shortcut." Rukawa clipped. __[The sooner that I get there the better. Hana's been away from me long enough.] _

Relieved that he had somehow gotten a response from the silent guy, Mito complied. When Hanagata answered the phone, Mito immediately relayed Rukawa's questioned and got an affirmative answer saying that Hanagata knew of a shortcut that could get them there within minutes. Grabbing the phone, Rukawa asked for the exact route on how to find the shortcut. When they were done talking, the raven head imparted the information to his driver and instructed him to go as fast as he could and leave Sendoh behind if need be. Handing the phone over to the bewildered Mito, "You better put on your seatbelt." He clipped and then they were off like the wind. 

************************************************ 

{Sendoh's Car} 

"Rukawa sure is in a hurry." Sendoh commented after he saw Rukawa's car zoomed past his. 

"Knowing that driver of his, they might even arrive before Fujima." Hanagata chuckled. 

"Why do you say that? Fujima has had at least half an hour head start." 

"You're forgetting that Fujima had to stop at the bakery and I'm guessing that he did not use the short route since he might not have felt the need for it. Unlike Rukawa." Hanagata commented. 

Maki's brown eyes were glinting when he suddenly turned towards their spikey haired driver then said, "You better not loose Rukawa, Sendoh. I don't want him to lay a hand on Kenji if I could help it." 

_[Rukawa's not the only one you should be worried about Maki. If Fujima even dared to lay a hand or hurt Hana, not only will I help Rukawa in crucifying him but I'll personally deliver him to hell.] With that thought, Sendoh pushed his foot hard on the accelerator and chased Rukawa's car like a demon possessed. _

************************

To be continued… 

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Sorry if it took me this long to update this but this is one hard chapter to finish or edit or rescene for that matter. Well I think there would still be two more chapters to go and the next would be Fujima's Confession time… Do tell me what you think of this fic so far and if you have any vehement reactions or comments or even criticisms, do feel free to voice them out. 

See you next… and by the way, thank you to everyone who have read the previous chapters and took the time to comment. It was very much appreciated. To those who have just read, thank you as well.


	8. Fujima's Confession

************************************************* 

PART 08: FUJIMA'S CONFESSION 

************************************************* 

{Fujima's beach house} 

A pair of aquatic eyes stared unseeingly at the view of the beach from outside the verandah. He held in his hand his 3rd can of beer and yet he still could not bring himself to go through with his plan. "Stupid conscience!" He cursed but then he knew that it was not only his conscience that was holding him back. It was something deeper or rather 'someone' and it was only when he was left alone with the redhead did he realize that the beach house was not the right place to be at that moment. Memories and feelings he had of the time he bought the house came haunting him with images of his handsome boyfriend, filling his heart and mind with pain, sadness and guilt for what he had done and for what he was planning to do. Throwing the beer can away; Fujima sat on a chair and caught his head between his hands thinking, _[Why? Why do I have to feel these feelings? Why now?]_

Silence…

There was no one, no one to answer his cry and he wished that he could just get really drunk and sleep off the nagging ache inside his heart, but no, fate would not be that considerate of him; well at least not since he had met the guy behind his confusion. Standing up, he gave one last look at the almost setting sun and then went to where the object of his turmoil was sleeping. 

A few minutes ago, Fujima was thankful that the driver was tactful enough not to question him about anything and had helped him carry the moaning redhead in the bedroom. Now as he stood at the foot of the bed, he was still battling his demons when Sakuragi suddenly smiled in his sleep, mumbling something inaudible and his heart fluttered. After checking something behind a closed cabinet, Fujima gently sat beside the sleeping redhead and tenderly caressed the face that had plagued his dreams and fueled his guilt ever since he had started noticing not only the skills but also the young man himself. Smiling, Fujima thought that anyone who really knew him would be shocked to see him with Sakuragi, let alone believe that he might have feelings for someone who was a direct contrast to his imposing and always serious lover. Yet there he was, with Sakuragi and not with Maki.

"Shinichi." Fujima mouthed unconsciously and felt again the sudden rush of sadness and pain inside his heart. It would have been their anniversary on the 4th and the beach house was supposed to be his surprise. But what did he do? He had broken up with him. No, breaking up with his boyfriend of two years and long time crush was not an easy thing to do, in fact, it was most probably the hardest thing that he had ever done. Loving Maki was never a question for he still loves the guy so much and it was hurting him to even think that the former might be in deep pain right now. But he had to do it. 

With a soft sigh, he removed his hand from his tender stroking of the redhead's face and after kissing the latter's forehead, went to stand in front of an opened window with his hands clenched on his sides, thinking about how his life got disrupted by someone who he had once considered as an annoyance in his life. 

"Annoyance", he chuckled at his own description and glanced as to where the alleged was peacefully sleeping on his bed.

As Fujima's blue eyes gazed fondly at the prone figure, he couldn't help remembering how he had first thought of him as such. _ First impression lasts , or so they say but it was never the case for his impression of the redhead._

Shohoku versus Tsukubu… That was the game where he first saw the red haired rookie who was already rumored for his tenacity and surprising antics on the playing court. He had watched that game with his teammate and both of them had thought that aside from the guy's jumping capability and hunger to get the ball, there was nothing really remarkable that would have made them worry let alone make him look at the guy twice. 

Well, that is not till it was their turn to meet the newly improved Shohoku team anyway. 

Shohoku versus Shoyo… That day started to be as simple as 'Win the game at all cost and crush Shohoku' but, sadly, it did not turn out that way. Not only did they lost that game but he also had the worst case of irritation with himself for even giving someone he barely knew the power to make him feel all riled and confused inside. Who would have thought that he would be seething with anger not because they had lost the game, though that had been a major part, but it was because of a dimwitted loudmouth amateur who had the audacity to call him a substitute right in his face and at the same time had dared think that he was but a mere benchwarmer of their team. That had annoyed him to no end during that game. But even so, the redhead's surprising improvement on the court had not gone unnoticed by him and he reluctantly admitted to himself that he was, in fact, impressed. 

And that was his first major change of impression of any guy ever. But… it did not stop there, not by a long shot. His first real shattering change of feelings for the guy came on that fateful day of about a year and a half ago, just days after their match in fact and it was the game between Kainan and Shohoku. Closing his eyes_, [A change that I could have done without if given a choice.] He thought and continued his recollection._

Shohoku versus Kainan… That particular game paved the way for Kainan's 17th consecutive trip to the IH tournament and Shohoku's lost was a major buzz in their school. Students and teachers alike were all talking about it and though his heart swelled at the mention of how his famous boyfriend played like the MVP that he was fitted to be, he was still affected by how the others were mocking that last play which lead to Shohoku's lost. Hearing them throw insults and say bad things about how it was the redhead's fault for being dumb enough to not know his own teammate made him want to lash out and defend the guy to anybody who had the misfortune of saying that within his earshot, and it was a good thing that Hanagata was always by his side or he would not have been able to stop himself from loosing his head. But after school, he made a quick excuse to skip practice and immediately went to Shohoku only to hear that the redhead did not go to school that day. His face fell after hearing that and the heavy feeling in his heart stayed even until later that night when he was supposed to spend quality time with his boyfriend to celebrate Kainan's undefeated stature of being Kanagawa's number one team. Being a shrewd guy, Maki immediately noticed his sullen demeanor and asked him about it. Since he had no idea that he was starting to feel something different for the redhead that time, he had unwittingly confessed his concern for the missing Shohoku player and told Maki of his irritation when his fellow students were making fun of Sakuragi. To say that his boyfriend was livid after hearing that was an understatement, he did not even had the slightest inkling that the other would blow his top and accuse him of cheating on him. Angered and hurt by the accusation, he stormed out of Maki's room after yelling for the latter to grow up and to not look for him till Maki learned how to trust. 

_[That fight was the first huge fight we had after we became a couple.] He thought and grimaced in remembering what had happened after that. _

Pained and confused about his fight with his boyfriend, he just walked on the empty streets, unheeding of the heavy rain and soon found himself in front of Shohoku's gate. Without even thinking, his feet carried him further inside the school's compound towards the gym and then he heard voices. Out of curiosity, he sneaked a peek inside and saw Sakuragi and Rukawa throwing punches against each other while each was claiming the fault for their lost. Soon after both rookies were spent and tired from bashing each other, he saw Sakuragi slumped down to the floor with tears streaming down his face and his heart twisted at the sight. He almost gave in to the temptation of making his presence known and intruded on what seemed to be a private moment between the two when Rukawa suddenly hunched down on one knee and gathered the sobbing redhead in his arms, murmuring something that somehow quieted the sobs which were rocking Sakuragi's body. Disturbed by the scene, he hurriedly left Shohoku high feeling a deep sense of hostility towards the raven head. Utterly puzzled with what he felt, he went home that night feeling lousier than ever thus he just went to sleep immediately in hopes that his head would be cleared come morning. 

"Boy was I wrong on that supposition." He mocked himself and jerked when the wall clock suddenly chimed 5 times. Automatically, his eyes went to check on his guest and sighed in relief when he saw that the guy was still sound asleep. With a small smile playing on his lips, he resumed his position earlier and grasped the redhead's hand, kissing the knuckles before placing it against his heart. "You don't know the shock that I had went through after that Hana. The realization that I might have feelings for you or was falling for you scared me so much that I turned away from it but then I guess my feelings for you were as persistent and as hard headed as you are." He sadly stated, thus with dulled eyes he went back to that time when he had first recognized his growing infatuation for Shohoku's self-proclaimed tensai.

When morning came, he woke up with a splitting headache, a pain in his heart and the picture of the sobbing Sakuragi stuck in his head. Frustrated, he spent the entire day moping and was still pondering until night came and then he resorted into getting himself drunk to at least forget his worries since he was not able to resolve anything. Thus, he soon found himself really drunk and was knocking on the front door of his besfriend's house at god knows what time then woke up the next morning feeling quite clear about certain things despite the huge hangover. Maybe Hanagata had told him something or maybe he had blurted something to his friend but whatever it was he could not quite remember. He was not a constant drinker and he had never really gotten purposely drunk, well at least not since the time he had to muster enough courage to confess his feelings to his so-called rival, Maki. But after that day, he was able to think things through and reluctantly admitted to himself that by some weird stroke of fate, the redhead had somehow gotten under his skin. That feeling of warmth that would creep inside his system whenever he would think of the brash yet adorable redhead was enough to make him want to shout out his frustration for the conflict it brought into his life. Afraid, disconcerted and guilty of his newfound feelings, he immediately sought to patch things up with his boyfriend and forced himself to not think of his feelings for Sakuragi again. Everything went okay after that and though he still went to games played by Shohoku, he was just content of being a silent spectator in the audience, awed whenever the redhead showed another improvement and captivated by the aura of beauty the lad projects, an admiring fan one might say, but that was it. He drew the line at that point with a promise that it would never be crossed.

Fujima made a face when he remembered that promise and had a faraway look before returning his gaze back to the prone figure on the bed. "Promises are made to be broken and lines are meant to be crossed. Do you that Hana-chan?" He asked the sleeping guy and his lips twitched when the other shifted in his sleep. "Guess not. But I do." He whispered. 

Caressing the boy's face with the back of his hand, "Just by being here with you, just by wanting to be you and just by falling for you made me a living proof of that." 

Brushing the red locks that had fallen on Sakuragi's forehead, he continued baring his feelings to the unknowing guy. "I was wrong when I deceived myself into believing that I was able to control my feelings for you. When I first went to college, I found myself missing you. Missing you play, missing to see your face, missing even the sound of that unique laugh of yours." He snickered. "You have like become a part of my life that I could not shake, not even when I was happy living with Shin-chan. I have kept returning to Kanagawa in hopes of seeing you, sneaking a peak, checking on your progress, that sort of thing and just to hear you laugh or your voice was enough to appease my ache for you." Laughing softly, "Pathetic huh? Who would have thought that I, Kenji Fujima, the once ace of Shoyo High and a renown point guard in Kanagawa, have a major crush on Shohoku's resident bullhorn and at the same time, madly in love with one of Tokyo University's ace basketball player." 

After his laughter stopped, Fujima changed position and slowly slid beside Sakuragi to place his head just above the other's beating heart. "You don't know how hard it was for me during that time, staying faithful to Shinichi, keeping my growing feelings for you at bay, staying away from Kanagawa, staying away from you. I loved Shinichi and I still do actually but I could no longer deny myself or even fool myself into believing that I'm just infatuated with you or that I only lust for your body." He muffled as he burrowed deep into the redhead's warmth, reveling in the guy's nearness till he got a shock when he was suddenly wrapped in a tight embrace.

Though he was dumbstruck, his heart still soared from the act only to fall down again when he vaguely heard him mumble a name that was definitely not his. Frowning, he gently wriggled out from the embrace and moved so he could have a better view of the redhead's face. "Kaede… you really love him don't you?" He asked the unknowing boy with soulful eyes though he already knew the answer to that one. 

Tracing the outline of Sakuragi's lips, "Yesterday… After knowing about you and Rukawa, I… I was so jealous that I could not see or even think straight. All I could think of was that I should be the one you were spending this day with. Not him, not anybody." Chuckling, "Crazy huh? Guess I acted quite out of character after that because even Toru noticed it and like an idiot, I have tried to drown my sorrows last night but it only got me thinking more about you and Rukawa… and Shinichi." Sighing, "Last night… I have made lots of hasty decisions. Decisions that I may regret for the rest of my life, including this."

Dipping his head, he hovered till his lips were just inches that of the sleeping boy and said, "I could no longer hide the truth that I'm in love with you Hanamichi Sakuragi and I badly need this one time, just this once to have you all to myself. I know you're not aware of what I have done or would do to you and you might even hate me afterwards but as long as I could have this one day to hold you, to love you, to feel you and to remember you by, it'll all be worth it." Inching closer, "I hope that someday you'll be able to forgive me." After saying that, he closed his eyes and finally gave rein to his repressed longing of the boy.

Lowering his head, Fujima tentatively placed a chaste kiss over the slightly parted lips then groaned when the light contact brought forth the same heat that had coursed through his body in the study room, driving him to deepen the kiss till it became heated and passionate. While he was busy devouring Sakuragi's lips, his hands mechanically went to tug the boy's shirt from his pants and once done he lifted his own body so he could lift the shirt high enough to reveal a well-toned torso. Hands roaming freely on the bared body, Fujima left his assault on the redhead's lips to travel downwards and paid homage to the body he had longed to caress. Where his hands touched his lips followed, needing to taste and touch every part and every inch of his Hana-chan knowing full well that it would be his only chance but his roaming stopped the minute his hand brushed across a budding nipple. Gingerly he let his finger play and tease around the rosy bud until it hardened like a pebble and then hungrily captured it inside his mouth, biting, nibbling and licking. After savoring the taste, he gave the reddish pebble one last suck before transferring his ardent ministration to the other slowly growing bud, sucking it whole and using his tongue to tease till it grew erect and hard inside his mouth while his hand ventured downwards. 

Engrossed in his desire, Fujima failed to notice the fingers that were raking his hair or the soft gasps and moans from the guy beneath him. Only when he heard the other moaned a name out loud did he lift his head and he found himself staring straight into a pair of desire glazed brown eyes.

"Hana?" Fujima gasped, surprised that Sakuragi had gained consciousness but the latter only stared at him without the slightest recognition in his eyes and was stroking his face lovingly. 

"Hana?" He called again, more audible this time, waiting anxiously for a reaction. But instead of an answer, he was rather baffled when Sakuragi suddenly clutched his shoulders in a tight grip and threw his head back with a whimper.

Though perplexed, Fujima was temporarily transfixed as his azure heated blue eyes took in the enticing picture and it was only when the grip on his shoulder turned painful did he snap out from his stupor. Only then did he realize that though his mouth had left its ardent teasing of the boy's body his hand had not stopped fondling the redhead's arousal. 

Face flushed, eyes closed, that swan-like neck arched upwards, parted lips where soft moans could still be heard and the feel of the body writhing underneath him was enough to snap the blue-eyed boy into action. Thus with a low growl, he deftly unzipped the redhead's pants and freed the crying arousal that was screaming for his attention. Licking his lips, Fujima stared with lust filled eyes before he dipped his head and used his tongue to swirl on the pre-cumming head, relishing the musky taste. When dried, he trailed his tongue along the length from top to bottom and then kissed his way up but not without sucking on the twin sacs first.

"Please…" Sakuragi softly cried and was twisting fervently with obvious need. 

Upon hearing the younger lad's plea, Fujima completely enveloped Sakuragi's manhood inside his mouth and would have smiled if he could when it had suddenly grown fully erect and rock hard, almost gagging him. Holding the redhead's hips in place to keep him from thrusting, he slowly licked the length inside his mouth without so much as moving his head, coating every inch his tongue could reach. Then he languidly moved up, sliding his tongue along the walls, and sucked the tip like you would a lollipop, thrusting out his tongue to inflict more torture by twirling it round and round before bobbing his head down again to encase the length till it reached the base of his throat. 

Fujima could feel himself grow as hard as the length he was sucking while he was slowly teasing the redhead and though he was delaying his own release, the arousing tune the other was making with his soft gasps and moans after each bob he made was making his wait well worth it. But when he felt the painful pull on his hair and the tensing of the muscles, he knew that he had to bring the other to his release. Thus with a determination to bring the redhead to the highest peak, he ignored his own hardened arousal and quickened his pace, rendering his best blowjob ever. Within seconds, his semi-conscious partner was arching his back high off the bed, letting out a loud cry of release before spewing out his seed inside his awaiting mouth. 

************************************************* 

{Outside the beach house} 

Two figures just alighted a navy blue sports car when a loud cry made a raven head 17-year old look up at an opened window and felt his heart stopped beating when he softly mumbled, "Hana," and without another thought, he went scurrying towards the source of the sound, unheeding of the shouts for him to wait. 

************************************************* 

{Inside} 

With a huge grin plastered across his face, Fujima crawled on top of the guy and stared lovingly at the satiated birthday boy who was sporting a contented smile on his beautiful boyish face with his eyes closed. Cupping the boy's face with one hand, he kissed Sakuragi with fervor and was rewarded when the other reciprocated with equal intensity thus Fujima soon found himself swooning in joyous wonder within the redhead's tight embrace and felt time stood still. But intoxicating as Sakuragi's lips may be, Fujima had to lift his head for fear of suffocating the semi-conscious redhead and went to trail wet kisses all over the latter's face towards the neck with feverish hunger. 

"I could not get enough of you Hana-chan." Fujima cooed, sucking on the redhead's neck. "And I love how you respond to me but now it's my turn." He whispered, trailing his other hand pass the perfect ass to insert his finger inside the opening to prepare the redhead, using Sakuragi's own cum as lubrication.

Sakuragi buckled at the intrusion and tightened his arms around the slender figure on top of him. "Aahh… it hurts," he yelped, burying his face inside the crook of his partner's neck. 

"Shhh… It'll be okay soon Hana-chan." Fujima cajoled, reclaiming his lips while his other hand went to stroke Sakuragi's member to take the latter's mind off the pain. _[He's too tight.] He thought and was excited at the possibility that Sakuragi was still a virgin. When he felt the taut muscles relaxing under his tender stroking, Fujima gently inserted another finger to stretch the opening wider but Sakuragi still jerked and squirmed in real pain. _

The redhead's clouded mind was in total confusion as to why his beloved was continuously hurting him after giving him intense pleasure and satisfaction earlier. Twisting his body, he half-reached for the hand that was inflicting the pain and murmured, "Kaede, please stop… I… I can't. It hurts so much." He pleaded, his shrouded brown eyes brimming with tears as they looked straight into a pair of sapphire orbs framed by what he was seeing as the handsome face of his kitsune. 

Fujima looked down at the pleading chocolate pupils and momentarily stopped, pulling his hand from behind Sakuragi. He knew of the drug's effects before he had given it to the redhead but the probability that the latter would be hallucinating that he was Rukawa was something he had overlooked. As of the moment, those honey brown eyes were pleading for him to stop but at the same time showing him undisguised love. Although, his groin was screaming for him to just plunge in despite the misconception and pleading, his heart was crying for Sakuragi to know that it was him and not Rukawa who was making love to him. He wanted to believe that he was actually the recipient of that love he was seeing and not as substitute for the absentee boyfriend. 

Without letting go of the semi-hardened arousal within his grasp, Fujima leaned back down and whispered, "It's not Kaede but Kenji Hana," while nibbling Sakuragi's ear. 

Eyes closed, "Kaede…" The redhead moaned, wrapping his arms tightly around the other's neck as surges of pleasure filled his senses the minute the pain had stopped and felt himself hardening again under the tender stroking of his kitsune. 

Fujima grunted when he heard the name and though he realized that the redhead's subconscious was actually responding to Rukawa and not to him, he knew that he could no longer hold back. Gently he tried disentangling Sakuragi's arm around his neck but the other tightened his hold on him and started kissing him sweetly on his lips. The sweetness of the act made his head swirl and he was already leaning towards the kiss when the bedroom door suddenly flung open and in came, "Rukawa…"

*************************

As usual.. comments and reviews are mostly deeply appreciated... my email address is dbrrk@yahoo.com if you want to contact me that is... 


	9. Torn

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PART 09: TORN 

************************************************* 

"Hana!" Rukawa shouted as he opened the bedroom door, frantic to see his redhead but the scene that greeted froze him dead on his tracks. 

_[Rukawa? What is he doing here?] Fujima thought in shock, unconsciously removing his hand from its stroking of Sakuragi's member that made the latter squirm from the lost of the touch. Having heard the whimper, he turned his head away from the raven head and gazed tenderly at the boy beneath him. _

"Er… I hate to be rude, Rukawa, but ummm… Could you leave? Hana-chan and I are in the middle of something," Fujima called out without even removing his gaze from the brown orbs that were staring up at him. 

Any guy would have bolted right out from that room or act like a crazed jealous lover out to murder the guy looming over his loved one, but not Rukawa. Though the ice prince had every inclination of doing either of the two, his perfectly practiced show of nonchalance, not to mention his will to get his redhead back, automatically kicked in and he was able to stand his ground. He would not let jealousy get the better of him this time even though the image of his boyfriend lying pliant under another man's body would be forever etched in his mind. 

After calming his shaky nerves a little, Rukawa balled his hands into fist and stared murderously on Fujima's side view. "Get off of him right now!" Rukawa spat with venom as he started to walk sternly towards the bed with the intention of bodily removing the former Shoyo guy when he was suddenly hindered by a hand on his arm and an accompanying voice saying, "Not so fast Rukawa." 

Surprised to hear another voice,_ [What the heck is going on? Have I posted this address or did Sendoh have the party moved to this location?] Fujima mentally cried, exasperated to see Sakuragi's dark haired friend. _

Mito was glad that he was able to catch up with the fox but was stunned to see Hanamichi sprawled on the bed with another guy. _[What are you doing Hanamichi?] He thought in dismay, removing his hand from its tight grip on Rukawa's arm and was surprised to find it slightly bloodied. _

"Rukawa you…" Mito started, but stopped when he saw the ominous look marring the handsome face. Rukawa was undoubtedly beyond caring if he had cuts and scratches, or if his left arm was in need of attention after breaking in through the window to gain entrance into the beach house, since his entire focus was definitely on getting his 'aho. Thinking that he had to do something before the ice prince really looses control, he stepped forward and addressed the seeming undaunted guy. "Move away from him Fujima if you value your life." 

"Move?" Fujima chuckled, not even flustered. "I don't think Hana-chan would let me." Proving his point, Fujima lifted himself off the redhead but only managed to raise his chest before the arms around his neck tightened to pull him back down. "Stay with me," he heard Sakuragi whisper then felt the latter's wet lips traveling down the baseline of his throat complemented by the hardness that was being grinded against his and the wandering hands roaming on his body. 

Caught unprepared of having Sakuragi tease him instead of the other way around, Fujima's initial reaction was to moan aloud, desire welling up through the tumult of sensations rocking his body. Within seconds, the effeminate Shoyo ace had completely forgotten his guests, his entire focus, centered on the aggressive redhead. 

By the door… Having watched the couple on the bed made Mito speechless and completely bowled over. He could not believe that his bestfriend was actually making out with someone, even with Rukawa in the room! Then, amidst being dumbstruck, it did not fail his notice that Sakuragi had not once acknowledged their presence. As he turned to say something to the fox by his side, he was suddenly taken aback to see the latter's demeanor. "Hey, Rukawa, are you okay?" 

_[This must be killing him inside.]_ Mito thought as he took in Rukawa's appearance; hands tightly balled into fist, body quivering from either anger or something else, he really did not know, but what arrested him was the fox's expression. Though he had seen Rukawa stripped off of his mask twice for that day alone, still, the look of naked pain now painted across the latter's ashen face was something he would rather have missed. Looking towards the bed again, _[Why is Hanamichi doing this anyway? Did he and Rukawa had a fight or something and this is his way of punishing him?]_ He pondered but then again, _[no, Hanamichi's not like that. He would punch and beat the hell out of Rukawa, but not like this. This is slow torture! But then, why…] _Getting tired of contemplating, "Damn it, Hanamichi! What the hell are you doing? Can't you see that you're hurting Rukawa?" He hollered, but it was as if his friend had not even heard him for the latter just arched his neck to give Fujima's wandering lips more access. 

Though Rukawa had heard and slightly flinched after hearing Mito's yell, his eyes had never left the scene that was slowly killing him inside. There were no words to explain the torment that he was going through and not even the pain caused by his twin sister's death a few years back could match the gnawing ache Sakuragi's betrayal was causing him. But even so, there was still that belief in his heart, that belief which his sanity was still clinging on to, that his 'aho LOVES only HIM and would NOT betray him! 

_[Is that what you call love? Just look at him!]_ Rukawa's mind jeered, mocking him as he watched Sakuragi's wanton compliance to Fujima's ministrations. 

_[No! He… He…]_

_[What? He what? You still don't get it do you. This is Hana's way of showing you that he got tired of waiting for the right moment, unlike you!] _

_[No! That's not true! We both agreed!]_ Rukawa countered. 

_[Really? Then explain that!] _

Having no inkling that Sakuragi had been drugged, the raven head had no way of defending his boyfriend's actions even to himself thus he just looked on and his muscles remained numb to the core, rendering him motionless. 

_[See? You can't even begin to explain why he's doing it? You can't even do anything about it. Face it Kaede, Hanamichi no longer belongs to you. He no longer loves you.]_ Rukawa's mind gibed. 

_[No! Hana loves me!] _

_[Deny all you want. The truth is right there, face it!]_

"Stop it!" Rukawa voiced out loud, covering his ears and shutting his eyes, totally missing Mito's inquisitive gaze on him. _[Hana loves me! Hana loves me!]_ He kept chanting, willing his mind to shut up but then, _[Why? Why can't I do something?]_ He inwardly bellowed, frustrated over his lack of action. He wanted to shake Hanamichi for answers but, truth be known, he was scared, scared of what he might hear from the latter. 

Hearing a moan, Rukawa's eyes flew open. Looking towards the bed, his aquamarine eyes widened and his face became ghastly white as he saw where Fujima had turned his teasing. "No! Stop!" He cried, loud enough that it made Fujima look up from where his tongue was languorously teasing one of Sakuragi's nipple. 

Smiling devilishly, "He's now mine, Rukawa," Fujima said before he turned his attention back to the pinkish bud that grew erect and hard as pebble inside his mouth. 

_ He's now mine _

_ He's now mine _

_ He's now mine _

Even though Fujima's words had a shattering effect on the raven head, it was just the thing that pushed the latter to the limit of his endurance, thus after reaffirming his belief that … _[Hanamichi loves me and no one is taking him away from me!] _Rukawa literally flew towards the bed, shocking Mito, as he hauled Fujima off the redhead. 

Stunned and shaken, Fujima cried, "What the… let go of me!" But the only answer he got was a fist right smack on his face that sent him staggering backwards with stars dancing all around him, and if Rukawa had not grabbed his collar again, he would surely have fallen face down on the floor. 

Drawing the former Shoyo captain's face closer to his, "You can't have Hanamichi!" Rukawa gritted and he was about to hit Fujima again when his left arm was suddenly grasped painfully by a widely waken horror stricken Hanamichi crying out, "No! Let go of him!" 

************************************************* 

{Downstairs} 

Sendoh looked up from the threshold of the beach house upon hearing the cry and hastily sped into the house without waiting for his two companions. 

"Hanagata, wait!" 

Hanagata stopped and turned to stare at the hesitating figure of Maki. "What?" 

************************************************* 

{Upstairs} 

Startled, Rukawa unconsciously let Fujima go and turned to face his boyfriend, wincing slightly when the latter's nails dug deep into his wound. "Hana?" He softly called out but the other ignored him and instead tried to stand up using his arm as leverage, all the time trying to reach out at something. All of a sudden, he saw Sakuragi pitch forward, and the redhead would have fallen if he had not managed to tug the hand clutching his wounded arm, making his 'aho lean onto him instead. 

Having noticed that Sakuragi had fainted in Rukawa's arms, "I think you better lie him down again," Mito suggested. 

Without really needing to be told, the raven head effortlessly carried the supple body and laid it back down onto the bed. Ignoring the other occupants of the room for a moment, Rukawa sat down beside the prone figure and stared longingly at Sakuragi. _[What's the matter with you Hana-kun? Why were you with him? Did he… had he taken you away from me?] His anguish shone in his eyes after mentally voicing out the last question that was the root of his present torment. _

Sensing Mito from behind, Rukawa hastily suppressed the forming wetness in his eyes and reluctantly removed his hand from its tender stroking of Sakuragi's face. Taking huge deep breaths, Rukawa calmed himself and schooled his features before he stood up and faced the source of his pain. "You! I don't know what you did to Hanamichi but you are not taking him away from me." 

As Rukawa made a move to bridge the gap between him and the silently watching Fujima, he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he heard a loud calling of his name. "Kaede! No! Don't go!" There it was again. Brows furrowed, Rukawa turned around and locked gaze with a pair of misty brown eyes shrouded in fear. Mystified and baffled, he sat back on the bed and took one of his boyfriend's clenched hands in one of his. 

"I'm here Hana. I'm right here," Rukawa tried telling Sakuragi but the chocolate pupils that he adored so much to gaze into were blank. Disturbed and getting worried, "Hana, it's me!" He said a little louder and grasped his beloved's chin, forcing the other to look straight into his eyes but to his shock, all it did was to make the former recoil from his touch. 

As if frightened, Sakuragi curled his body sideways into a ball and wrapped his arms around himself protectively. "Kitsune…" He sobbed before the lifeless brown eyes hid behind closed lids and shed silent tears that reflect his sorrow of not having Rukawa by his side. 

Mito turned away. He was having a hard time in accepting the fact that the sobbing and frightened young man on the bed and the Hanamichi that he knew were one and the same. _[No. Hanamichi is stronger than that,] he thought, but deny as he might, there was no mistaking the voice that was sobbing Rukawa's name. _

_[Rukawa…] Mito pondered. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and stared at the couple on the bed. __[Is this what being in love has done to you, Hanamichi?] He mentally berated his bestfriend. But then again, a conversation after yesterday's game slowly floated back in his mind. _

_ Be happy Hanamichi, that's what we wish for you on your birthday tomorrow. _

_ I am Youhei. More than you'll ever know. _

_[And it was true,] Mito thought. The four of them had only wished for Hanamichi to be happy, and they got their wish after they saw how jubilant the redhead was after the fox had acceded to reveal their relationship in public. _

_[He was so happy yesterday. But now…] _

"What the hell is the matter with him?" Mito voiced out his vexation. Hearing something from behind, he turned and saw Fujima sitting on a chair at the far side of the room, cradling his head between his hands. Bridging the distance, "You! What did you do to Hanamichi?" He questioned in a low deadly tone that made the other snap his head up. For a moment, he was staggered to see remorse on the substitute's face but he immediately recovered. He was not buying it nor did he care for Fujima's troubles, grabbing the latter by the collar, he hauled him up and gritted, "Feeling guilty?" Hearing no response, "Hey, have you gone deaf or something? Answer me, damn it!" He cried. 

Mito's voice resounded around the room but it did not even reached the fox boy's ears. No, he did not switch into trance mode, as part of him subconsciously thanked, but rather, the curled figure on the bed had his entire attention. 

One would have found it a funny scene if they had witnessed the normally cool and composed stoic boy going frantic with worry over his once bickering partner. Rukawa kept checking for signs of injury, sickness, or something that could explain why his redhead had first acted like a wanton lover to Fujima and then a frightened little boy who kept calling for him. 

After being satisfied, happy, and yet maddeningly frustrated of not finding any physical signs that could explain his boyfriend's behavior, Rukawa then resorted into talking to Sakuragi, this time hoping that his voice would be able to reach him. "Hana…" He called in a low voice, lightly shaking the curled figure at the same time. "Hey Hana, wake up will you?" Still nothing. Feeling the rising panic, "Please wake up Hanamichi," he softly pleaded then reached out and wiped the redhead's face dry of any remnants of tears. After what seemed to be as another long stretch of silence for him, "Kaede…" he heard and it was again the only response he got, bothering him to no end with the thought that he was the cause of his 'aho's obvious pain. _[But why? I'm right here and I won't leave you. Why can't you hear me?] _

Reaching the end of his wits, Rukawa turned towards the very guy he wanted to erase from the face of the earth and half-shouted, "What did you do to him?" 

Still holding the guy by the collar, Mito shook Fujima none too gently and said, "Getting sick of hearing the question aren't you? Well, are you going to answer that one now or are you really that keen on meeting your maker?" 

Fujima's expression hardened as he shift gaze from the redhead to the slightly shorter guy holding him. Freeing himself, he was about to retort something when suddenly… "Hana has been drugged," supplied by the newcomer standing in the doorway. Two heads and one shocked raven head then turned to stare at him. 

"WHAT?" Mito exclaimed incredulously. 

"Sendoh." Fujima mouthed. 

"Drugged?" Rukawa gasped. _[Was that why he...?]_ He trailed then returned his gaze back to his curled redhead who had burrowed deeper into the pillow. "Hana..." 

Mito, who had been intently watching Rukawa's expression, had a smile of understanding on his face as he said, "Stay with Hanamichi and let me handle Fujima, Rukawa." 

Without turning, Rukawa just nodded his head in silent assent for his mind was no longer on maiming the Shoyo guy but onto the prone figure of his beloved. Heedless of the people inside that room, he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss over the hand adorning the ring that symbolizes their unity before resting his chin above it. "You have to fight that drug 'aho. I still have one last surprise for you then after that, I'll fulfill my earlier promise and we'll spend the entire night together, just the two of us," he whispered before reaching to place a light kiss over the parted lips then sighed somewhat in content for having his Hanamichi by his side again. The realization that his boyfriend was just under the influence of some sort of drug had somehow alleviated some of his worries and fears, though it did not lighten the heavy feeling in his heart. 

************************************************* 

{Downstairs} 

"I never knew you to be a coward Maki." Hanagata mocked, getting quite irritated. 

"Cowardice is not an issue here Hanagata. I just don't want to confront Kenji with all those people." Maki explained, uninterestingly inspecting the house that was supposed to be a gift for him. "Besides, I don't think Kenji would want to see me right now." He softly added. 

Hanagata scowled at that. "I don't think Kenji would want you to be in Kanagawa either but you came anyway. So, what's stopping you from going upstairs to whisk your boyfriend away? Wasn't that what you've been wanting to do ever since you've arrived at the airport?" 

Crossing his arms, Maki leaned against the wall and said, "Yes but… " 

Having sensed the hesitation again, Hanagata threw his hand up in the air and cried, "Man! What is the matter with you? Your boyfriend is right upstairs doing God knows what with three people who would not even hesitate to hurt him and here you are being melodramatic?" 

Snapping, "What do you want me to do then? Burst right in and demand an explanation? Carry him away amidst the very people who are hurting as much as I am?" Maki shouted. Raking his hand on his hair, "Call me anything you like. I won't go upstairs with you. I'll wait till I could get Kenji alone, then we'll talk." 

Shaking his head, "Unbelievable! You sure are one piece of work. A man of unbendable determination on the basketball court where no man could deter and yet here you are, daunted just by the mere fact that you are afraid of what you might witness and hear upstairs. Isn't that what's holding you? The TRUTH?" Hanagata scorned. 

Maki turned his face away and said, "Just go Hanagata." 

"Yeah I will. I've already wasted so much time as it is." Waving a dismissal hand, Hanagata turned around and was about to leave when suddenly, "Don't let them hurt Kenji." Maki said in which he replied, "There's no need to tell me that." Then hurriedly went upstairs, leaving a despondent Maki on his own devices. 

************************************************* 

{Upstairs} 

While Maki and Hanagata were having their conversation downstairs… Sendoh ventured further inside the bedroom and towered over Fujima with a look of disdain on his face. "Surprised to see me or are you surprised that I know what you did to Hana." 

"How did Fujima managed to drug Hanamichi? I know he could be gullible sometimes but he is not stupid," Mito intervened. 

"How? Care to tell them or would you rather I tell them how you manipulated everything for your twisted reasons?" Sendoh jeered, looking straight at Fujima with anger in his eyes. 

Fujima looked away but nonchalantly replied, "Be my guest." 

Shaking his head in disgust, he turned towards Mito but not before glancing at the couple on the bed and felt his heartstrings pull. Tearing his gaze away, he took a very deep breath, calming his nerves, and then started telling his story, starting from the time Mito and the others left Sakuragi alone with him after their arrival. 

Mito listened with rapt attention and it was only when he heard the latter say_…"Kiyota, Fujima and I coerced Hana into agreeing to spend an hour each with the three of us and …" did he raise his hand to interrupt and ask, "Whose idea was that?" _

Thankful for the breather, "His," Sendoh answered, pointing at Fujima who was standing by the window. 

"Damn!" Mito cursed under his breath. 

_[And the four us thought that among the four volunteers HE was the most harmless and less prone to create a scene or something.] Mito thought and had a sudden urging to whack himself for conjuring up the whole stupid idea. __[Next year, we'll just settle in treating him a whole day's meal. Costly, but easier.] _

_[Yeah, but would the fox let you? Just look at what happened to your innocent prank?] Mito's mind chided and he groaned unintentionally. _

Kneading the back of his neck, "So what happened next?" Mito urged Sendoh to continue his story but could not help thinking, _[I bet Rukawa's just itching to kill me now for leaving his fiancée alone with those three.] _

Though try as he might, Mito could not see any expression from Rukawa since the latter had his face now buried in the crook of his bestfriend's neck. Blushing suddenly, he turned away and refused to entertain thoughts of hentaish nature. 

Sendoh followed Mito's vision but immediately looked away. His own personal feelings for Sakuragi could not yet handle Rukawa's blatant show of adoration for the former but still he thought, _[Mentioning what Kiyota had done would not be a good idea right now.] Thus, he carefully omitted that part and continued with his story only to face an obstacle when he reached that point where Fujima was about to give that statement to Sakuragi, the one that he had remembered earlier in the car. Nevertheless, he had to say it, albeit cautiously. _

For Rukawa... He would have been all too willing to block out Sendoh's voice from the very start since each word smiley had uttered seemed to have a one-way ticket jabbing him straight in his heart. Nuzzling his face deeper into his beloved's neck, _[If only I did not let you go without me…] He berated himself, guilt stricken upon remembering his Hana's forlorn expression when he had told him that he would not be accompanying him to the party. _

As if sensing the other's pain, Sakuragi disentangled his arms around himself and loosely wrapped it around the warmth, soothing and chasing his fears away with the belief that his kitsune was again safe by his side. "Kaede…" The redhead softly uttered and tightened his embrace, no longer afraid. 

Surprised and elated to have those familiar arms wrapped around him; Rukawa lifted his head to check if his Hana had wakened… "'Aho?" Nothing. No answer. Sakuragi still had his eyes closed though there was now a faint smile on his lips. 

Dropping his head onto the pillow beside the red tresses, Rukawa traced the closed lids with one finger and said, "Please wake up soon, Hana-kun. I need you and I miss you so damn much. Please just…" Rukawa stopped his words right there, too choked up with the emotions that were threatening to engulf him the moment he decided to continue. Squeezing his eyes shut to quell the tears from falling, Rukawa turned around so his back would be pressed against Sakuragi's chest and snuggled closer, needing to feel as much warmth of the redhead's as he could possibly get then sighed in content when the latter hugged him closer. 

Just for that moment, all of Rukawa's earlier worries, heartaches, and pains flew right out of the window and he could care less for the other people inside that room. All he could feel and all he could sense was his 'aho's love for him as he was wrapped in that loving embrace where he could always forget everything except for the person who was holding him. 

Oblivious to the couple on the bed, "… I am such an idiot!" Sendoh cried. 

"Why do you say that?" Mito questioned. 

Sighing, Sendoh kneaded his forehead and just said, "Because I was idiot enough to have believed that Fujima's intentions were harmless when I left Hana alone with him." 

"Oh…" Mito mouthed. 

Turning towards the guy who was standing by the window, "You! You scheming manipulating sick bastard! Why did you kidnap Hanamichi?" Mito questioned but Fujima's attention was not on him but on the couple cuddled on the bed. 

Looking at how Sakuragi was protectively embracing Rukawa close to his side was making Fujima's feelings torn into two. A part of him, the still drunk to the redhead's taste and jealous of the raven head part of him, wanted so badly to go over and fight for his twisted belief that the former was his, at least for the day. However, his feelings had somehow changed after the raven head had almost knocked him unconscious earlier. Seeing the redhead cry and obviously hurting had pained him more than his jealousy of Rukawa. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the windowsill and thought, _[It was my entire fault!] He knew that Sakuragi would not have faced his greatest fear and be hurt in the process if he had not given him the drug. Having studied and researched about its effects in the university, he should have had a foresight that once any of the user's sensory was stimulated, it would brought about a chain of reaction and an example of which would be pleasure and pain in its extremities. Hence, Sakuragi had experienced those effects the moment the latter had believed that he, Fujima, was Rukawa. _

Ignoring Sendoh and Mito, Fujima strolled towards the bed. Clear blue eyes took in the tranquil aura that now enveloped the sleeping redhead and those blue orbs shone with jealousy and sadness that it was all because of the curled raven head he was hugging. "I'm sorry if I had sent you to that private hell Hana-chan. I didn't mean to and I hope that you could…" he stopped then cried, "Hey," when he felt someone dragging him away from the couple. 

"What's your problem?" Fujima grimaced. 

"You!" Sendoh said. "You're my problem. Were you devising another plan to tear them apart?" 

Freeing himself from Sendoh's grasp, "No, I am not!" Fujima answered. 

"Then what were you doing over there?" Sendoh persisted. 

Fujima turned his eyes away and said, "That is none of your business, Sendoh. Stay out of it!" 

"Stay out of it? You've made a fool of me inside my own home and you expect me to be okay with it?" Sendoh mocked and shoved Fujima none too gently against the wall. "I care for Hana too whether you wanted to know or not but I would not intentionally hurt him by doing what you did! For that alone I ought to beat the hell out of you and free Rukawa the burden of burying you alive," he snarled. 

"Not a bad idea, Sendoh. How about... We make it a birthday gift for Hanamichi instead," Mito suggested and flexed his fingers before advancing ominously towards the blue-eyed college guy. 

Unbeknownst to Sendoh and Mito, a still puffing brunette had just entered the bedroom and was in time to catch Mito's last statement. Thus… 

"Stay away from him!" 

The shout startled both Mito and Sendoh, stopping them from whatever harm they might want to inflict on Fujima and faced the spectacled person from the doorway. 

"Toru!" Fujima gasped, his eyes widening at the sight of his bestfriend. 

"Nice timing, Hanagata-san. You alone?" 

Reaching Fujima's side, Hanagata intentionally ignored Sendoh and asked, "Are you alright Kenji?" 

"Your friend is still in one piece, though he won't be for long," Mito imparted, still flexing his fingers. 

Heedless of Mito's comment, Fujima faced his spectacled friend and said, "Don't you think I could handle myself, Toru?" 

Smiling his relief, Hanagata replied, "I'm glad to hear that." Turning to face Sakuragi's dark haired friend, "I can understand your feelings for Kenji right now, but there is really no need for anyone to get hurt. I mean, I don't think Sakuragi's been harm in anyway," he stated, remembering the sleeping couple as he passed by the bed that was now blocked from his view by Sendoh's frame. 

Dumbstruck, "What?" Mito thundered. "Are you that thick on your friendship that you would ignore what your friend had done to Hanamichi?" He questioned in pure disbelief. "Man, you Shoyo guys make me sick!" 

"No! It's not…" Hanagata started but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

With his expression grim, "I really don't care what you think of me right now, and I don't intend to explain my actions to you either," Fujima remarked and then added, "But just for the record, hurting Hana-chan was never my intention." 

"Then, what was…?" 

"You just intended to rape him." A cold and icy voice suddenly cut through Mito's angry tirade. 

All eyes turned towards the direction of the voice and found the owner to be widely awake and sitting sideways, facing them from the bed. Though Rukawa had allowed himself to be lulled to sleep within Sakuragi's warm embrace, Hanagata's shout had easily jolted him awake and it only took him a minute or so before everything came flooding back to him; the pain, the frustration and the burning anger towards the former blue-eyed ace of Shoyo high. 

Not really sure that he had heard him right; Hanagata inched nearer to Rukawa and asked, "What did you say?" 

Transferring his gaze towards the spectacled player, "You heard me," was Rukawa's clipped reply. 

"How…?" Sendoh tried saying but was too shocked to continue. Sure, he had thought that Fujima might take advantage of Sakuragi, but... rape? It was something that he had refused to equate earlier with the facts presented to him. Mito, on the hand, had an expression of aghast and confusion on his face because only then did he give attention again to what he had seen when he had first entered the bedroom. As for Hanagata… He refused to accept the accusation because not only did it sound condemning, accusing, and downright tainting his friend's reputation, but it was also unbelievable. "Rape is a strong word Rukawa. I have known Kenji long enough and I refuse to believe that he could do that." 

Cold glinting sapphire colored eyes were almost not visible through narrowed slits as they sought to lock gaze with a pair of dark grey eyes that were staring back in defiance. "Why? Were you here when I arrived?" Rukawa asked in a low deadly tone. 

Before Hanagata could answer Rukawa's question, "Wait! Sorry, Rukawa, but, it did not seem that Hanamichi was being raped. If anything, he was even participating," Mito intervened. 

Though the intervention and the reminder annoyed Rukawa to bits, the remark made him turn towards Fujima and curtly asked, "What was that drug that you gave him?" 

Bearing responsibility as the owner of the said drug, Hanagata volunteered to explain. "It's a hallucinogen drug. It disrupts once capability to perceive between what is real and what is not. It feeds on human emotions ranging from sadness, anger, fear, happiness, and pleasures… that sort. It's not really lethal if that's your concern." 

"Not lethal?" Mito choked. 

"Have you ever seen the effects of this drug?" Sendoh queried. 

Shaking his head, "No. I haven't," Hanagata answered. 

Throwing icy glares towards the spectacled brunette, "Then you didn't know what it did to Hanamichi," Rukawa deduced and then added, "I suggest that you shut up and leave. This is none of your concern." 

"No! It is my concern." Hanagata said, shielding Fujima. 

"No, Toru. I don't want you to be caught in the middle. Just let me handle this," Fujima tried saying but Hanagata stopped him. 

"Too late for that Kenji. I have already told them everything that I know and whether both of us like it or not, we are in this together. I will not abandon you and let anyone hurt you," Hanagata remarked though he was staring at the raven head by the bed. 

"Hurt him?" Rukawa then shocked two persons inside that room when a small devilish smile graced his lips. Slowly removing the hand that had found its way inside his shirt, he gave the palm a kiss before laying it down onto the bed. "When I get through with him… pain would be the least of his concern," He declared and stood up, not hearing the soft whimper from Sakuragi. 

Mito and Sendoh just stood and waited breathlessly for what the raven head would do. Rukawa the player, rival, and schoolmate was already a force to reckon with, but... Rukawa the crazed and jealous lover? 

With his vision focused only on the slightly shorter blue-eyed brown-haired guy, Rukawa walked predatorily towards Fujima with his intentions clear and evident on his face and if Hanagata had not placed himself in between them… 

"Move!" Rukawa said in a low and deadly tone, stopping in his strides when he encountered Hanagata's taller and wider frame. 

With arms outstretched, "No! You're just in pain, Rukawa, and you really don't want to hurt Kenji or anybody. Please calm down," Hanagata cajoled. 

"I think he's beyond that, Hanagata-san," Sendoh remarked. 

"Calm down?" Rukawa said through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to render his punishment to the spectacled guy instead. "Your friend had kidnapped and almost raped my boyfriend and you want me to calm down?" He questioned in sarcastic disbelief. 

Unconsciously backing away, "I know it was painful but…" Hanagata started but Rukawa cut him off by unexpectedly saying, "Pain?" 

Unclenching and clenching his hands, Rukawa took a step forward and there was no mistaking the pain meshing with anger on his face. "Pain could not even begin to describe what I felt at the thought that Hanamichi was taken away from me," he spat then closed his eyes, tormented by the remembrance. Shaking his head from side to side, "It hurts," he mumbled before he opened his eyes and gritted, "It hurt like hell!" Tearing his gaze away from Hanagata, his icy blue eyes then sought a pair of eyes with almost the same hue as his but with an indiscernible expression in them. "Why… Why did you do it?" 

Unfazed, Fujima defiantly held the icy glare for a moment then said, "Because I love him." 

Sendoh and Mito both had the same incredulous expression on their faces as they exclaimed, "What?" Whilst Rukawa stared back at Fujima with mixtures of expressions akin to jealousy, anger, and surprise. 

"Kenji, you…" Hanagata started but Sendoh interrupted and said, "You can't love him! You already have a boyfriend for God's sake!" There was confusion and disbelief in Sendoh's eyes, as he could not believe that someone could actually love two people at the same time. 

Fujima's lips broke into a cynical smile before he bowed his head low and said, "A boyfriend that I had to break up with since my conscience couldn't handle the guilt upon realizing that I am in love with someone else." Lifting his head, he stared at Sendoh then straight at Rukawa before saying, "I do love Hana-chan whether you believe it or not." 

Mito, being the person still left in the dark, was confused and bewildered by the information made known to him. _[Fujima's in love with Hanamichi… God what a mess,] He mentally cried since that was the only information his brain could digest at that moment. Hearing something, he turned towards the bed and saw the redhead moved. "Hanamichi?" He inched closer in hopes that his friend had wakened. Upon reaching Sakuragi's side, he then heard the latter moan out Rukawa's name and fidgeted fervently on the bed. __[The drug…] Worried of what the drug was currently doing to the redhead, he sat on the bed and gently slapped his bestfriend's face to jar him awake. "Hanamichi! Hey, Hanamichi, snap out of it." _

Unaware of what was happening to his boyfriend, "Love?" Rukawa spat after the shock of the admission had receded. Taking another step forward, "Do you call drugging someone as an act of love?" His voice broke. 

"No, but I …" 

Ignoring Fujima's attempt to reply, "Didn't you even think of what it might do to him?" Rukawa continued as undisguised hatred for the former Shoyo point guard marred his paler than usual handsome face. 

Though a bit flustered after being reminded again of his mistake, Fujima's expression darkened and faced the Shohoku ace with a look that had no trace of guilt. "No, I didn't. I want him. So, I took the only means I could think of to get him," he stated in an icy tone that could easily match Rukawa's. 

Hanagata, Sendoh, and Mito all gasped after hearing that. 

Taken aback, Rukawa stood still for a moment before a sudden surge of intense rage and loathing for Fujima made him cry out, "You selfish bastard!" Then he pushed Hanagata aside and made a lunge at Fujima, kicking and hitting where his fist and feet could reach, shocking everyone in the room with the vehemence of his actions. 

************************************************* 

{Downstairs – outside the Verandah} 

Maki was lounging on one of the chairs outside the verandah with an untouched can of beer in one hand while he stared at the bright color of the setting sun. 

"Sunset…" Closing his eyes… _"It's breathtaking, right, Shin-chan?" Maki suddenly heard his Kenji's voice in which he would answer, __"Though not as breathtaking as you Kenji" and he could just see the blush creeping up his blue-eyed angel's pretty face. "Perfect!" He softly mouthed. _

Opening his eyes, sunsets were something that he had always enjoyed watching and his boyfriend had always teased him about it. Saying that he was a sentimental old goat underneath that ominous exterior, he projects. 

"Kenji…" 

Closing his eyes again, how many times had he called his boyfriend's name after they arrived at that beach house? Countless times. He loved how his beloved's name rolled so smoothly on his tongue. _[It fits. Like it was meant to be.] "It's like we were meant to be." He chuckled after saying that aloud and knew it to be true. His blue-eyed angel was his first love or rather his only love. Regardless of what people might think about his fixation of basketball, Fujima was still number one in his life. _[Though not according to Hanagata.] __

_ You were never there for him Maki. _

_ I remembered one time that Kenji came to me drunk all the way from Tokyo just because you have forgotten your anniversary when your parents had made you stay longer than necessary. _

_ How about the time when he needed your support? When he had that trial dispute against one of his professors for sexually harassing him, I was the one who lend moral support since you were out practicing. _

"Shut up!" Maki shouted in the wind and covered his ears. He did not want to listen anymore. Each accusation was like a razor blade cutting his heart and he was still reluctant to accept that he might have pushed Fujima into the arms of another. 

Still caught in his denial, his head suddenly shot up when he heard a loud thud coming from upstairs, "Kenji!" He thought in alarm and sped into the house. 

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To be continued.....

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As always, crits and comments are most welcome.... self-edited so pardon the mistakes and hope that it did not in any way, jar you from reading this chapter. One more to go minna and it's done. Sorry for the delay. This chapter took longer than necessary to edit and rewrite some scenes. My mind just did not stop from shifting one scene to the next thus, I decided to post this chapter in fear that I might have another scene in mind and that would require re-arranging the whole thing again. sorry again and hope that this chapter did not send you guys confused or disappointed with its outcome.

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email add: dbrrk@yahoo.com 


	10. All for Love

*************************************************

**PART 10: ALL FOR LOVE**

************************************************* 

{Upstairs – Inside the bedroom} 

Taken aback by Rukawa's sudden assault, all that Fujima could do at the moment was to try and evade the blows that were coming in almost all directions, holding up his arms and hands to try and shield his face. 

"Kenji!" Hanagata shouted and went to help his friend, only to have Rukawa punch him directly on his face. 

Seeing an opening, Fujima recovered and was able to deflect Rukawa's next blows. Soon enough, what started to be as a one sided Rukawa rampage had suddenly turned into a full-blown fight between Rukawa and Fujima. 

Cursing after being hit once again by Rukawa's punch, Hanagata adjusted his glasses and rubbed his jaw before turning to Sendoh and yelling, "Damn it! Don't just stand there, help me stop them!" 

Unlike Hanagata, Mito was rather enjoying himself though he had to admit that he was slightly surprised to see that the former Shoyo captain could hold his own against someone who could trade blows with Hanamichi anytime. All of a sudden, another loud moan brought his attention back towards his bestfriend. Thinking that Sakuragi might be close to waking, he gently shook the latter's shoulders while repeatedly calling his name. 

Back to the ongoing raucous… Sendoh and Hanagata each looked for an opportunity to break the two apart. Finally seeing one, the spectacled brunette immediately ducked to avoid a flying fist then tackled his friend, sending them both falling down the floor. 

On the other hand, Sendoh had a hard time in holding the raging raven head and it was only when he had clamped an arm tight around Rukawa's waist did the struggles stopped. That and after murmuring, "Stop it, Rukawa. Much as I enjoyed watching you punch the living daylights out of Fujima, I think enough is enough. You've gotten your point across. Besides, Hana wouldn't want to see you all bruised and bloodied, especially since you still have a date for tonight." Seeing the questioning glare after the raven head twisted his face to look at him, he chuckled and said, "Yeah, we know. So, if you don't behave and stay out of trouble… I might just be inclined to accompany Hana to that date of yours while you stay in bed and recuperate." He could not help goading and though he had expected retaliation, the painful blow on his ribs still took him by surprise.

Sprawled on the floor, Fujima, who despite receiving the worst end of the fight, hastily got up and was about to make a lunge at Rukawa again if Hanagata had not hold on to his hand. "Let me go, Toru!" He glowered, unconsciously wiping the blood oozing from his left eye. 

Standing up, Hanagata placed his hands on Fujima's shoulders, careful not to place too much pressure and said, "Stop this, Kenji. You're just fighting a loosing battle and you're already hurt as it is. Why don't you just let it go and forget about it?" 

"What?" Fujima choked. Slapping Hanagata's hands away, "Let it go? You think that I asked for this? Asked to be in love with him?" He half-shouted, pointing to the redhead on the bed. 

"Kenji, I..." 

Lifting his hand, "Shut up, Toru!" Fujima snapped, his eyes shimmering as he slowly backed away from his usually supportive friend. "You have no idea what I went through so you have no right to say things like that to me." Feeling alone all of a sudden, he ranted, "I have tried.... Tried so hard to fight my feelings for him but... But it was no use!" Backing up against the wall, "As time passed by, I found myself wanting to see him, hear him, and be near him almost everytime and you can't know the guilt that I felt at that time," he said and his heart contracted upon the remembrance. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his hands and his eyes suddenly acquired a faraway look as he continued his rant, "It was hard during those times, and yet I still fooled myself in believing that it was nothing, that it was just mere infatuation or a crush... But I was wrong." 

The last words dropped to almost like a whisper that it would be hard to catch it if there was anybody else talking, but since there was no one else, the ache in Fujima's voice was hard to miss. 

"Stop torturing yourself, Kenji," Hanagata beseeched, feeling like a heel in thinking that he had somehow let his friend down for not knowing. 

Looking at his bestfriend, "Too late for that, Toru," Fujima stated, his voice lowered, and then after a while, chuckled. "Did you know that Sakuragi's the reason why I kept coming back here? 

Nodding his head, "I just realized it lately," Hanagata replied, vaguely hearing Rukawa's disgusted snort. 

Lips twitching in a poor attempt of a smile, Fujima turned away and looked at the figure on the bed, his expression softening as he tenderly said, "He became my blanket. A favorite blanket that I used to cover me up from the coldness of being alone whenever Shinichi's not by my side, and I never knew how much he meant to me, until yesterday." Shaking his head, he then returned his attention back to the only person who, without knowing, had caused him the pain he had felt since yesterday. "Because of you, I was finally able to come into terms with what I really feel for Hana-chan and whether I or you like it or not, it's there. I do love him and knowing about your relationship with him led me into doing this," he sadly stated, pain replacing anger and jealousy in his eyes as he steadily gazed into Rukawa's pupils. 

"That's not an excuse for what you did," Rukawa icily said in response. 

Fujima would have loved to retort something to that remark but his disclosure of his feelings had somehow drained him emotionally, mentally, and physically. Leaning against the wall for support, the urge to curl up somewhere to be alone made him want to just leave the room and forget everything, but he couldn't, not yet anyway. Not until he say everything that he needed to say. Sneaking a peek at the closed cabinet, he smiled wistfully and thought; _[I hope you could find it in your heart to understand me someday, Hana-chan. That is, after you heard all of this.] _

Hence, without considering the pain that it would further cause him, Fujima set about to reveal everything. Not to the people gathered around him but to the one whose forgiveness and understanding he sought to beseech, Sakuragi. 

"For almost two years, I was just a guy who was content to long for someone from afar and I never really intended to act on that feeling. It was okay for me to see him once in a while and to know that he's just there, free and… waiting." Wrapping his arms around himself, he rubbed his sore arms and absently said, "Until yesterday." Meeting Rukawa's now impassive blue eyes, "You changed all that. You, being his boyfriend, had changed all that and with it, you took away my fantasy and my dream of being the first man in Hana-chan's life." 

_[What?] It took Rukawa about a second or two to digest that last bit of information before his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, jealousy marring his features as he said, "You wouldn't have gotten the chance even if you tried." _

"Why, because you wouldn't have let me?" Seeing a nod, Fujima gave out a stilted laugh and said, "God, you're so sure of yourself aren't you?" He derided but somehow his voice lacked the spite he intended to go along with it. Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, he forced himself to continue albeit the lump that got stuck in his throat. "That's why I hated you. Hated you so much that it blinded me and it made me want to take Hana-chan away from you. To make you feel the same pain that you gave me when you took him away." 

"But why? Hana was not even yours to begin with and besides, you already have Maki. So why blame Rukawa?" Sendoh queried, disturbed by Fujima's revelation and yet he could relate, in a way. 

Shifting his gaze to Sendoh, Fujima shook his head and a small smile tug at his lips as he said, "That's where you're wrong because, I did feel that he was mine. Mine to see freely when I want to and mine to have if I decide to." 

Sendoh gaped at the arrogance in those words and tightened his hold around Rukawa's waist upon sensing the latter's returning anger. "What makes you think that Hana would even like you?" He queried. 

Fujima noticed the scornful look on Rukawa's face but he shrugged it off as he returned his gaze to Sendoh. "What makes you think that he wouldn't?" He countered then shook his head again. "Let's stop this. Bottom line is that, before, by knowing that he was free and still an innocent made me think that I was at least first in his life; the first guy to love him, the first guy to yearn for him, the first guy that could possibly make him open up to the wonders of gay relationship." 

Raking his fingers though his brown tresses, Fujima turned his face away from the others and only his bestfriend saw the change in his expression as he said, "But with Rukawa's presence in his life… The possibility of those happening faded into nothingness as I was again faced with the reality of having someone that I love taken away from me." 

"Kenji…" Hanagata's voice trailed with a note of sadness as he looked at how the admission had affected his bestfriend. Never had he thought that the redhead meant that much to Fujima for only a few had been able to make the latter show his vulnerable side. 

After approaching and placing a comforting hand on Fujima's shoulder, Hanagata then decided to tell the others about his friend's past. It was not an easy decision to make since Fujima would definitely be mad at him afterwards but, after basing his decision on his desire to make the others understand his friend's behavior, he ignored the warning bells and proceeded anyway. 

Only a few people knew that Fujima was a product of a broken family and since his parents had remarried and were living separate lives, he had settled into living alone instead of being transferred to and from his mother and father. Then came basketball, a sport that Fujima had poured his best into since he was good at it. However, basketball had not been kind to him either for even though he had been known as one of the ace in the said sport in High School, his wish for Shoyo to be Kanagawa's champ had always eluded his grasp. Come college, there had been many speculations as to why Fujima had decided to have a low profile as a basketball player, and even he, Hanagata, had once questioned his friend about it, but the only reason that Fujima could give was of his wish to be constantly by Maki's side. However, as fate would have it, after being the apple of Maki's eyes during their first year as a couple, which was also their last year in High School, Fujima again tasted the bitterness of being cast aside or taken for granted after basketball became the center of Maki's life. 

"Thus, in consequence, Fujima may have leaned towards his uncertain feelings for Sakuragi that time and in return, those feelings grew into something which made him act the way he acted today," Hanagata ended. Then, after turning to give Fujima an apologetic look, he returned his attention towards the others and asked, "Now you tell me. Would you still crucify him for doing what he did after knowing that all he did was to fight for someone that he loves?" 

"But Hana was never his to fight for. He's mine and I'll fight anyone who dares to take him away from me. No matter how sad or sick the reason may be," Rukawa retorted, though his voice lost its icy edge. 

Before anyone could react on Rukawa's comment, a figure emerged from the doorway and surprised everyone by saying, "No more fighting, Rukawa. I won't let you lay a finger on him again." 

Upon hearing that voice, Fujima's entire body went rigid and his heart stopped beating for a second. Slowly, he turned his head towards the direction of the voice and when his gaze met a pair of deep-set brown eyes framed by the all too familiar handsome face of his tanned boyfriend… All emotions known to man rose up to his throat, choking him to utter only one word, "Shin-chan," before he slid down to the floor with tears streaming down his face. 

Seeing his lover, Maki immediately went to gather Fujima in his arms, careful to avoid the latter's visible bruises, as he held him tight. "Kenji… I can't say sorry enough for everything that I have done and not done for you. All I can say is that I was stupid, blindly stupid. Please stop crying, I love you so much and I promise to make it up to you, just… Just give me a chance. Give us a chance," he pleaded and the only answer he got was of Fujima burrowing deeper within his embrace. Tightening his arms around his blue-eyed angel, he whispered, "I'll never let you go again, ever." 

A shroud of silence befell the room as the bystanders watched the reunited couple for a while. No one spoke and no one moved. 

Hanagata had never felt happier for his friend than he was at that moment. Granted that he had indirectly blamed Maki earlier for Fujima's actions but still… The former Kainan ace might just be the only person who could help Fujima to recover from the slumps that had plagued him his entire life. _[Good luck, Kenji, and be happy.] _

Meanwhile, not far from the couple, two brunettes stood side by side still, though only one watched the couple with slight interest because the other could care less of Fujima's would be future with the former Kainan player. 

For Rukawa, nothing could be more suitable than to make Fujima live a life of eternal solitude as punishment for the selfish attempt of tearing him and Hanamichi apart. Thus, after a minute or two of watching with indifference, he turned away from the couple to return to his own love only to realize that Sendoh still had an arm around his waist. Without saying a word or looking at the spikey haired guy, he detached the arm and went over to where Mito was holding the redhead's hand, much to his annoyance. Tapping Mito by the shoulder, he non-verbally told him to move aside and without saying anything still, he placed his hands under his beloved redhead then scooped the latter into his arms. 

"What are you doing?" Mito queried, puzzled. 

"I'm taking him home," Rukawa clipped then winced when Sakuragi's weight made the wound on his arm and the bruises on his body throbbed in pain. 

"Like hell you will," Sendoh piped. "There is no way that I am letting you endanger Hana by carrying him down that flight of steps and out of this house with that wound on your arm. Besides, he weighs more than you do," he remarked. Stepping forward, he stretched his arms forward and said, "Give him to me." 

Cold blue eyes glinted anew as they stared at the serious expression on the slightly taller and broader guy. "Over my dead body," Rukawa gritted and in spite of the growing pain on his arm, he possessively held his bundle closer to his chest as he sidestepped Sendoh. However, before he could even reach the door, Sendoh grabbed his wounded arm in a painful grip that made him yelp and almost drop Sakuragi in the process. 

Ignoring the murderous look directed his way, "See. I told you that you can't carry him," Sendoh gibed. "Now, hand him over," he reiterated, blocking Rukawa's path by stepping in front of him, his face still dead serious. 

Unyielding, Rukawa stood his ground and eyed Sendoh with open animosity, heedless of the blood that started to ooze from his arm. _[There is no way that I would hand him to you,] he thought but only voiced out, "No." _

"Then better lie him down again and wait till he wakes up because you will never leave this room with you carrying him," Sendoh retorted, equally unyielding. 

As sparks flew between Sendoh and Rukawa, Mito, who was still standing by the bed, slapped his forehead and groaned, "Will you two stop it? Hanamichi is not a thing to be fought between the two of you." Walking towards the two, he stopped beside Rukawa and said, "Sendoh is right. You can't carry him with that wound." He pointed then took a step back when a pair of ice-cold blue eyes froze him on the spot. _[Geeshh... Talk about dejavu.] Keeping his face placid, he stared back and said, "I'm serious, Rukawa. Either you give Hanamichi to Sendoh or I would not let you leave this room either." _

Stifling the urge to chuckle at the ongoing spectacle, Hanagata cleared his throat and shocked everyone by saying, "I can carry him." All eyes turned to stare at him and it made him fidget uncomfortably from where he was standing. "What?" 

"Why?" Rukawa asked with a raise brow. 

Shrugging, "Why not? I'm taller than the both of you," pointing at Rukawa and Sendoh, "and I know that I can carry his weight." Sensing that the raven head was still not convinced, Hanagata walked around the couple still on the floor then stopped to stand sideways between Sendoh and Rukawa, facing Mito. "Look, instead of carrying Sakuragi like that till God knows what time, and since you don't want to let Sendoh carry him for you, why not let me? I'm straight and that is reason enough for you to trust me, isn't it?" He queried and looked Rukawa straight in the eye. His intentions were clear and evident for the other to read and it was a huge relief when the Shohoku ace nodded his head then carefully transferred Sakuragi to him. At first, he almost lost his balance, as the full weight of the unconscious redhead took him by a surprise. Thankfully, Rukawa was quick on his feet to stop him from lurching forward, however, the near mishap earned him the coldest glare he had received in his entire life. 

"Sorry," Hanagata mumbled and settled the redhead more comfortably in his arms, still with Rukawa's help. After making sure that he could carry Sakuragi without the slightest hitch, he gave the raven head a reassuring nod and said, "Lead the way." 

Without a word, Rukawa walked ahead, passing Sendoh who followed suit. Glancing at his friend, "I'll just be a while, Kenji," Hanagata said and made a move to follow the two slightly shorter brunettes when suddenly... 

"No, wait!" 

Fujima's cry made Hanagata stop in his tracks and leaned back from the threshold to watch with horrified eyes as his friend scrambled away from the tanned player, got up to his feet, and hurriedly went beside him. "Kenji?" He hesitantly questioned. 

"Kenji!" Maki cried as he too scrambled to his feet with the intent to pursue only to be stopped short upon seeing the scene by the door. 

Aware only of the heavy feeling in his heart, "Please don't take him away just yet, Toru. I... I still need to say some things to him." Fujima implored in a small voice, his tears still trickled down his face as he caressed the sleeping face of the redhead in Hanagata's arms. "Hana-chan? Hana-chan?" He called, as if willing for the other to wake up. 

Mito, who was supposed to follow Hanagata out the door, exasperatedly cried, "God, you just don't give up!" Then a thunderous looking Rukawa marched right back in and unceremoniously dragged the protesting former Shoyo captain away from Sakuragi and towards the shocked looking former Kainan captain. 

"Make your boyfriend stay away from mine or he's dead the next time he comes near Hanamichi," Rukawa told Maki in a tone that was not a threat but more of a promise. Without even waiting for a response, he strolled to where an apprehensive looking Hanagata was standing and icily said, "Let's go." Taking no more chances, he gestured for the spectacled guy to go first and, without a backward glance, shut the bedroom door hard after he exited. 

Expelling a very huge breath, "Well, that's Rukawa for you," Mito remarked with a chuckle and then, eyeing the slightly taken aback couple, he said, "Good luck." However, before he could even reach for the door handle, he heard Fujima say, "Please wait," and he saw him wriggle out from the other's embrace. _[Now what? I am definitely not Hanamichi. So why is he stopping me now?] _

Taking something from inside the cabinet near the bedroom door, Fujima placed it inside its casing and walked towards Mito. Wiping the tears from his face, he looked pensive for a moment before he handed the package to the confused Mito and said, "Could you give this to Hana-chan?" 

Eyeing the object suspiciously, "What's this?" Mito asked. 

In a low voice, "My confession," Fujima said. Seeing the uncertainty in the dark haired guy's expression, "It's my last resort to let Hana know everything," he explained. 

"A tape?" Mito asked incredulously and then... realization. Eyes widening in horror, "You taped everything that happened in this room?" 

Without even batting an eye, "Yes, I did," the former Shoyo ace admitted. 

"That's sick!" Mito exclaimed and threw the tape back towards Fujima, good thing that the guy was quick to catch it. "There is no way that I am going to subject Hanamichi to that," and after saying that, he stomped towards the door with disgust written all over his face. 

"No! It's not…" Fujima started but Mito had already shut the door behind him. 

Silence enveloped the couple left in the room and Fujima was contemplating on how to send the tape over to Sakuragi when Maki took a step forward and grimly said, "I want to watch that tape, Kenji." 

Upon hearing that, Fujima snapped his attention back to that room and his azure eyes widened in horror as knowing of what's to come almost made him want to run out of the room. His entire being was shouting for him to say no but the determined expression on the other made him slump his shoulders in defeat. Thus, with a sigh, he nodded his head and went to prepare the VCR as one thought entered his mind, _[It's time for him to know everything. _

************************************

To be continued..........................

************************************


	11. Freed

************************************************* 

PART 11: FREED 

************************************************* 

{Outside the beach house} 

Hanagata was almost out of breath from carrying the redhead when Rukawa's car came into view, parked just right outside the beach house, much to his relief. Thankful for the driver's help in opening the car door, he was about to slide Sakuragi inside the back seat when Rukawa tapped him from behind and said, "I'll take it from here." Recognizing the determined glint in the raven head's eyes, he nodded his understanding and carefully transferred Sakuragi onto the outstretched arms. 

Mindful only of his precious bundle, Rukawa carefully slid into the right side of the back seat. Once comfortably seated, he gently released Sakuragi's lower body and let it stretch out to cover the remainder of the car's back seat, freeing his wounded arm from the burden of supporting the weight while using his right arm to cushion the crimson head that fell comfortably inside the crook of his neck. Closing his eyes, he drew the redhead closer to his chest and whispered, "You're safe now, Hanamichi, and that's how you'll stay." Then, as if hearing the words he just said, he heard his bundle murmur something inaudible and felt rather than see him shift in his arms to snuggle deeper within his embrace. The act, though unconscious, brought a smile that lighted his face and it lingered as he rubbed his face affectionately against Sakuragi's until he heard a loud, "Ahem!" Immediately, his eyes flew open and caught sight of his 'aho's annoying bestfriend grinning like mad. Blushing unconsciously, he gave Mito an icy glare but did not say anything. 

Not even flustered by the glare, "I think you better take him home now, Rukawa, before you give smiley over there a jealous attack," Mito pointed, still wearing the goofy grin on his face. 

Turning his head, Rukawa regarded his rival, on and off the court, with nonchalance then snorted before looking away since he did not care what the other was feeling anyway. Gently closing the car door, he pushed the button that opened the window and said to Mito, "Don't tell anyone about what happened to Hanamichi just yet." After seeing a nod, he settled back and was about to say something to his driver when he saw Hanagata slid into the front seat. "What are you doing?" He questioned with a frown. 

Putting his seatbelt on, "I'm coming with you, what else? If you can't carry him outside then you sure can't carry him inside your house either. So…" Hanagata let it trail since his intentions were obvious anyway and he believed that the raven head was shrewd enough to get the gist of it. 

Controlling the urge to vent his growing irritation to the tall mister-know-it-all guy, Rukawa just grunted and barked for the driver to drive slowly back to his home. Ignoring Hanagata's "Thank you," he leaned his cheek against Sakuragi's forehead and cuddled the sleeping boy closer. 

Minutes later, Hanagata sneaked a backward glance and smiled when he saw that Rukawa had fallen asleep with arms wrapped loosely around the redhead. "That's one relationship still left intact," he mumbled under his breath and could not help think about Fujima and Maki. _[I should not have left them alone but… They have to sort this out by themselves.] _

************************************************* 

{Trailing a short distance away} 

"Are you following Rukawa's car?" Mito asked in suspicion. 

Deep in thought, "No," Sendoh clipped. 

"Then why are we tailing them? This is not the way to your house, is it?" 

Shaking his head, "I just want to know where Rukawa is taking Hana," Sendoh replied in slight annoyance, his eyes glued to the navy blue sports car not far ahead. 

Staring intently at Sendoh's profile, "Does it matter? Wherever it is, Rukawa would take good care of Hanamichi. So why worry?" Mito queried and smiled knowingly when he saw the now familiar and over-used expression of pain painted across smiley's face. 

Settling back on his seat, "Cheer up, Sendoh, Hanamichi might not be the one for you, but there are still lots of girls and guys out there. You just have to find somebody that is... er... unattached?" Mito joked but immediately regretted it the minute he heard the other say in a low voice, "Hana is one of a kind." 

Now, how was he to react on that one? 

However, instead of reacting, Mito asked, "Just out of curiosity, how are you feeling at this moment?" _[Aside from that pain plastered on your face,] he mentally added but instead voiced, "I don't think you got the one hour that you requested, right?" _

"No. I didn't," Sendoh replied. 

"Oh" Mito decided to stay silent after that. 

Eyes still glued on the navy sports car, Sendoh could not help but dwell on Mito's question. _[What did I get from all of this?] He thought. Bit by bit, images, pictures, words spoken, revelations, and expressions, came floating back in his mind. But after a while of thinking, pondering, and analyzing about all of those, the remaining shroud of pain, jealousy, and anger in his heart suddenly got lifted and he finally had his answer. _

Without a word, Sendoh made a U-Turn at the next corner, jerking his companion into asking, "Where are we going now?" With his cheery disposition slowly returning, "Back to my place. We're going to continue celebrating Hana-kun's birthday and, of course, April fool's day, for who could be a better fool than me, right?" He jested, and then added, "Well, aside from Fujima that is," cocking his head to the side which, in turn, earned him a laugh from his companion. 

"Why the sudden change?" 

Taking a deep breath, "Acceptance," Sendoh replied. "I might not have gotten the hour that I was due but after the time I spent inside that bedroom, it was enough to make me see that even a week with Hana would not change the fact that Rukawa is the one for him. I love Hana-kun. I really do. But... He loves Rukawa and I can't change that. So..." Taking another lungful breathe, "Instead of butting into their relationship, I'm stepping down. It's the least I could do to make sure that Hana remains happy," he ended, smiling wistfully. 

Nodding, Mito grinned then said, "Hanamichi would have been lucky to have someone like you, Sendoh, but… Rukawa beat you to it, though I'm glad that you did not act as stupid as that Fujima guy." 

The departing Ryonan ace had to laugh at that. After which, they shared a companionable silence all throughout the drive to Sendoh's house. 

************************************************* 

{Back in the beach house} 

Fujima had been fighting the urge to walk out of the bedroom once too many times during the past 30 minutes and if it were not for Maki's plea for him to stay, the living room, or anywhere for that matter, would have been his haven away from his former lover. Hence, as it turned out, he had to endure the agony of waiting for Maki's reaction ever since then and at the same time relieving moments that already made him feel like the lowest scum in the universe. 

Sighing, he leaned against the side of the window panel and thought, _[I wish this day would just end.] Then, his whole body tensed when the VCR stopped playing. __[Now what?] He dared not look back for fear of what he might see in the other's expression thus he remained where he was; standing by the window, staring unseeingly at the scenery outside, hands clenched on his sides, and his heart, in danger of bursting from anxiety. _

However, after a terse silence of waiting, Fujima felt familiar arms looping around his shoulder and waist from behind. Staggered, he could only blink stupidly a couple of times and before he could even move or think, he heard Maki whisper, "I love you, Kenji. Regardless of how I feel right now, that fact would never change." The admission, though it made his heart flutter and swell, only added to his confusion and disorientation. After watching the tape, he expected Maki to be either insanely mad with jealousy or disgusted to the point of not wanting to be near him anymore. Yet, the words just uttered, the tone of voice used, the loving embrace enveloping him, and the teasing lips running along his neck, they all proved otherwise. _[What the hell just happened?] Short of pinching himself to check if he was dreaming or not, he tried wriggling from the embrace to try and catch any expression on his tanned lover's face, knowing full well that Maki's expression as well as eyes never lies. _

Sensing what Fujima intended to do; Maki tightened his arms around the other and said, "Not just yet. I want to savor the feel of you in my arms again." Nuzzling the other's neck, "I missed you so much, so much that it almost drove me crazy." Inhaling his beloved's scent, "I'll never let you leave my side again, Kenji. Wherever you go, I go. If I have to be your shadow, then so be it. I just don't want to feel the emptiness of being without you, ever again." 

Bowled over by what Maki just said, Fujima wriggled harder and was successful in being freed this time. Whirling around, he gazed at the face of the one he loved for more than two years and felt tears brimming in his eyes as he saw the love that still shone for him_. Guilt stricken, he bowed his head low and thought__, [I don't deserve that love, not anymore, not after what I've done.] With that, he sidestepped Maki and walked towards the other side of the room. _

"Kenji…?" Maki trailed, following Fujima's movements. 

Controlling the tears that threatened to fall, "We can't go back to the way we were before, Shinichi. Many things have happened. I'm hurt. You're hurt. It's just… complicated," Fujima cried, throwing his hands up in the air before sitting on the bed. Seeing the pained look that crossed Maki's face, "I'm sorry but… Why are you even doing this? I mean, I have hurt you, broken up with you, lied to you and to top it off, I cheated on you with these feelings I have for Hana and yet here you are, wanting me back, saying stuff that should be said if we're still together but we're not. It's over, Shin-chan, and we can never go back!" 

Anger replaced the pain on Maki's face but it was a different sort of anger, not the kind that Fujima was expecting. 'No! We're over when I say we're over and not before. I know that you still love me. I can see it in your eyes so don't even deny it," Maki fumed. Raking his hand through his hair, "I admit that I was mad and hurt when you have broken up with me and I was insanely jealous when I learned about your feelings for Sakuragi from Hanagata but… I don't know, seeing you again changed all that." Walking towards the bed, he squatted and took Fujima's hands into his. "There were many incidences in that video that almost made me want to get up and just leave, never to return, because it hurt like hell. But, the need to understand and know everything that happened before I arrived pushed me into watching the rest of it." 

"But why? It didn't change anything and you just got hurt in the process." 

Smiling sadly, "I know that. But, believe it or not, I was looking for something to cling onto, something that would help me decide on what to do," Maki explained. 

Holding his breath, Fujima stared intently onto Maki's deep expressive brown eyes and said, "Did you find what you're looking for?" 

Nodding, "Yes, I have." Standing up, he hauled Fujima to his feet and cupped his face then said, "A relationship has to be a two-way street if we need it to be success and I found out that ours had been a one-way street." Tracing the contour of Fujima's face with one finger, "I'm sorry if I have neglected you and I guess that I had a hand in pushing you to fall for Sakuragi and I couldn't blame you entirely for that. But now that I'm here, now that I promise to never take you for granted again, you won't need Sakuragi to comfort you anymore." 

Placing his hands over the ones holding his face, "But it still won't change the fact that I love him. Can you live with that? Can you accept that?" Fujima queried in a low voice. His heart beating furiously in his chest at the thought of being with Maki again but he could not just ignore his feelings for Sakuragi. 

Maki's eyes clouded after hearing that. Being reminded of that particular fact hurt him more than any mental image of Fujima with Sakuragi could ever achieve. Shaking his head, "I don't know. I can't answer that one right now," he honestly replied, dropping his hand. Taking a deep breath, he combed his fingers through his hair and said, "I'm not saying that I understand everything, because I don't, and I can't promise that everything will return to what they were before because it will definitely be different. But I will promise you this…" Cupping Fujima's face once again, he gazed deep into his eyes then softly said, "… If… If you're still willing, I want to give it or us another try." Seeing the uncertainty that still lingered in his beloved's eyes, "Things will be rocky, I know. But if both of us are willing then I know we could do it." 

Twisting his face away, Fujima bent his head and said, "It's not that simple." 

"I know that but…" Placing a finger beneath Fujima's chin, "Just answer me that one question, do you… Do you want to get back together?" He queried, leveling their gazes. 

As Maki was holding his breath, Fujima took in the sincerity and earnest in Maki's brown eyes and felt his last qualms crumble. Without words, he nodded his head and allowed his blurry eyes convey what his lips failed to say. 

Happiness flowed within Maki's entire being and it showed on his face, as he said, "God, you don't know how happy you just made me, Kenji." Clasping both of his beloved's hands onto his, "I promise that I would never make the same mistake twice and if it means laying low on basketball then… so be it." Seeing the shocked look on his blue-eyed angel's face, he smiled and said, "It's okay. Basketball won't have meaning if it means loosing you, anyway." Enveloping Fujima into his embrace once again, "You're my life, Kenji. What good would my dreams and aspirations be if you're not there to share it with me?" 

"Shinichi…" was all that Fujima was able to say before lips came down to claim his in a searing kiss, drowning him with emotions that only his dark and tanned lover could invoke in him. 

Lost in the bliss of having to feel Maki's love for him again, it was some time before the shrill ringing of the telephone penetrated Fujima's hearing. Breaking apart, he hurriedly went downstairs, with Maki following suit, and was it time to hear Hanagata's voice sailing across the room when the answering machine took the call. 

Picking up the receiver… 

"Toru, it's me." 

_"Kenji? I thought something happened to you." _

Brows furrowed, "Why would you think that?" 

Hearing a snort in the background... 

_"Because this is the third time that I called, that's why." _

"…" 

_"So… Everything okay between you and Maki?" _

Sneaking a glance at the tanned player who was tenderly looking at him, he absently nodded his head and said through the receiver, "We're still working things out but… We're okay." 

Hearing a sigh from the other line… 

_"I'm glad. Well, I'll be on my way home then and since I know that you'll be going with Maki... Call me when you get there, ok?" _

"Yes. I will." In the act of hanging up, "Wait! Where are you anyway?" 

_"At Rukawa's. I carried Sakuragi to Rukawa's bedroom." _

Playing with the phone's cord, "Er… could you give me the address?" 

_"Why?" _

Sighing, "Just spill it, Toru. I need to give Ha… Sakuragi something." 

_"Are you crazy? Rukawa will kill you as soon as you step in his driveway." _

"Don't worry. Shinichi will be with me and I'll make sure to make him understand that I am not about to steal his boyfriend again." 

Silence… 

_"Okay, but… Don't do anything stupid again, Kenji." _

Fujima rolled his eyes but did not say anything. After taking down Rukawa's address, he bid his bestfriend goodbye, said his thanks for helping him out and then hang up. He was still checking the address that he had written when he suddenly heard Maki moved. 

Lifting his head from the piece of paper, "Where are you going?" Fujima asked. 

Turning his head to the side, "To Rukawa's. I believe that that's where we're headed, right?" Maki questioned. Seeing a hesitant nod, "Well then, I'll just have to see to your bruises and then I suggest we make a move on if we want to catch that plane for Tokyo which is leaving in…" Checking his watch, "… about three hours from now." 

Fujima hesitated, slightly apprehensive by his boyfriend's abrupt attitude. However… 

"I'm not mad, Kenji. It's okay. I understand that you want Sakuragi to have the tape, though you might give him and Rukawa nightmares after that but… I'm all for it. Besides, after we drop it off, you'll be coming back to Tokyo with me, right?" 

Fujima nodded his head and with gratitude and happiness showing on his face, he threw himself in Maki's arms and said, "Thank you." 

Wrapping his arms around his blue-eyed angel, "This is the last time that I am letting you think about him, Kenji. After this, I will make sure that Hanamichi Sakuragi will be no more in your heart," Maki whispered and then added, "Are you okay with that?" 

Leaning back, Fujima's expression turned thoughtful as he said, "Forgetting him will not be easy." Seeing the pained look that appeared in Maki's eyes, he gave him the sweetest smile of understanding and apology as he said, "But… I love you more and I want to love only you… forever. So... I guess you'll just have to help me with the forgetting part. A lot of help." He stressed before leaning down to kiss his already smiling lover. 

************************************************* 

{Some time later that night – Inside Rukawa Manor} 

Rukawa had just finished talking with Mito on the phone, telling him that Sakuragi was all right when the butler came walking in the library and was carrying a package. 

"Young master Kaede, there was someone at the door who left this for Mr. Sakuragi," the butler said, handing over the package. 

Brows furrowed, "Who was it?" Rukawa asked. 

"He did not leave his name, Sir, but he said that there's a letter for Mr. Sakuragi inside." 

_[A letter?] _

Giving the butler a curt nod, he was about to dismiss him when he remembered something. "Ask chef to prepare a special dinner for two." 

"Yes, Sir," the butler replied then bowed and left when his young master gave him leave. 

Left alone, Rukawa was undecided which to do first, check up on his boyfriend or open the package that was not even meant for him. _[But anything about Hanamichi concerns me. And this letter...] opening the package and finding the white envelope__, [I wonder whose it from.] With his curiosity getting the best of him, he unconsciously chose the second choice seeing that he had already torn the letter open and saw red when he read the name at the bottom. _

_Hana-chan, _

_Before anything else, I want to say that I'm sorry. Sorry for drugging you, sorry for making you miss your own birthday party, sorry for taking you away from your friends and most of all, I'm sorry for taking you away from Rukawa. _

_By knowing all this, I know that you must hate me by now, not that I blame you but, please, don't hate me so much just yet. __I don't know if my reasons could justify my actions but __everything that you need to know is __recorded __in the tape enclosed with this lette__r and after watching it,__ I pray that you understand why I did it and what made me do it__._

_Hana, I can't say sorry enough for everything and though I want so badly to see you once again, even for just a moment, fate decided for me to let you decide on that one. As you are reading this letter, I'm already on my way to Tokyo with Shinichi, or Maki to you, to try and work things out between the two of us and whatever the outcome may be, rest assured that I would not bother you again. _

_Goodbye, Hana, be happy and, I love you, _

_Kenji Fujima. _

_P.S. If you ever __feel __the need to contact me, ask Kogure, Akagi, or Hanagata. They'll know where to find me. _

Rukawa read the letter twice before dropping onto the nearest chair, clutching the piece of paper in his hand while glaring at the videotape lying on top of the table. A part of him knew that the redhead had a right to know about what went on for the past couple of hours, but the other part was apprehensive to let Sakuragi watch the tape. Torn and undecided, he figured that the best way to know what to do was to view the contents of the videotape himself, seeing that he too wanted to know what happened before he arrived. 

************************************************* 

{Upstairs – Rukawa Manor – Rukawa's bedroom} 

A prone figure, lying on a king sized bed, stirred then languidly stretched like a cat before the closed lids lifted to show a pair of chocolate colored eyes still glazed by sleep. 

Yawning, the very first thing that Sakuragi's still drowsy mind could make out was that, he was definitely not in his room; the wall was different, the scent, the color, the posters, everything about the room was different from his. 

_[Where am I?] _

Confused and alarmed, he hastily got up into a sitting position only to groan aloud when the suddenness of his action made his head spin and the room went blurred for a moment. Cursing silently, he clutched his head then slowly surveyed his surroundings and instantly knew where he was the moment his eyes fell on the picture frame atop the bedside table. Watchful now of his movements, he edged closer to that side of the bed and picked up the picture frame. A small smile tugged on his lips as he fingered the picture lovingly. It was a picture of the two of them, of him hugging a smiling Rukawa from behind, taken during the latter's 17th birthday as well as New Year's celebration on the Rukawa's chateau in the Caribbean. 

Smiling, he placed the picture back atop the bedside table and roamed his eyes in his surroundings again. Thankful that his head seemed to have regained its equilibrium, he slipped from underneath the covers, got up from the bed, and walked barefooted towards what seemed to be Rukawa's study table where a large table clock showed the date as well as the time_. _

_ April 1 – 9:30 p.m. _

"It's that late?" He exclaimed then stared at an opened window and found that it was, indeed, nighttime. For a while, he tried to recall what happened to him. But… All he could remember was that, he was with Fujima, they were picking up his birthday cake from a bakery, he felt drunk and then... all went black after that. _[That's weird,] scratching his head, __[How did I end up in Kaede's room?] Sitting on the chair, he continued, __[If I remember correctly, Fujima and I left Sendoh's house around mid-afternoon and Kaede was not even there yet. Then, how come…] _

Hearing the bedroom door opening and closing, his pondering was cut off when the butler came inside the room. 

"Ahh… Mr. Sakuragi, I'm glad that you're awake. This will surely make the young master happy. I'll just go and inform him that you're already up." 

_[What? What did he mean by that?] Perplexed, the redhead called out, "No wait!" Getting up, he walked closer towards the butler and asked, "Where's Kaede?" _

"He's in the library, Sir." 

Smiling broadly, "Great. I'll just go and see him myself." The madly grinning birthday boy slipped into a pair of fluffy slippers and was almost by the door when the butler's amused voice halted him. 

"Don't you want to change into something more suitable for dinner, Sir?" 

Whirling around, "What?" Sakuragi stammered and only then did he notice the clothes he was wearing. "What the..." He gasped, unable to hold back his surprise when he saw that he was wearing blue colored silk pajamas. _[Whoa… Definitely Kaede's,] he mentally commented and then his cheeks went crimson as his hair when something suddenly struck him. "Who... Who did...?" _

The redhead's stammering made the butler smile in silent understanding. "The young master had changed your clothing while you were asleep, Sir." 

"He WHAT?" Sakuragi exclaimed and was now sure that his cheeks were on fire. 

Still stunned to even move a muscle, Sakuragi leaned his head back a little when a change of clothes was thrust in front of him. Dumbly, he took the offered clothing but asked, "Would somebody else be coming for dinner?" 

Shaking his head, "No, Sir. You and the young master would be the only ones dining tonight." 

Upon hearing the response, the grin returned on the redhead's face as he tossed the clothing back to the puzzled butler and said, "I'll be surprising your 'young master' by wearing only these." _[Besides, I like the feel of silk on my skin,] he mentally added. With that, he immediately stepped out of the bedroom and went in search for his boyfriend. _

************************************************* 

{Inside the library} 

Rukawa thought that he would no longer feel the excruciating pain he felt when he earlier saw Sakuragi with Fujima, but he was wrong, dead wrong. As his darkened blue orbs gazed at the blank TV screen, his mind kept replaying the images of what Fujima did to Hanamichi. His innocent and naive Hanamichi. 

_[But not too innocent anymore,] his mind corrected. _

Anguished by the reminder_, [Damn you, Fujima!] He cursed, closing his eyes as he gripped the remote, angered and hurt at the same time. Yet, distraught as he may be, he knew that he had to finish the tape, if only to finally find an answer as to why his beloved acted the way he did because not knowing otherwise might eventually tear him and Hanamichi apart. He could not afford that and he definitely would not allow that. Thus with his determination set on that point, he controlled the turmoil inside of him and turned the TV back on. However, once he did, unadulterated pain marred his features once again, for there, suspended in video animation, was his Hanamichi; head thrown back, hands clutched on Fujima's hair, his manhood... buried deep within Fujima's mouth. _

Clamping his eyes shut, he debated whether to turn the TV off again or endure the agony of seeing Hanamichi with Fujima. Choosing the latter, he clicked the play button and resumed watching, turning the volume high enough for him to hear this time. But, seconds later, he wished that he had kept the audio mute because hearing Sakuragi's cry of release broke his control and broke his heart into thousand pieces, leaving him devastated and crushed. 

Unable to hold back his emotions anymore, he let his head drop between his hands and allowed tears to flow freely down his face. "Hana..." He sobbed then sunk his fingers deep within the roots of his hair and moaned, "Why?" Gripping his hair tight, ""It hurts..." Clutching his heart, "It hurts so much..." 

Caught once again in the realm of pain and suffering, he fleetingly got spared of being given more reason to be immersed deeper into despair by not hearing the drones of pants, moans, and kisses coming from the TV. However, once the sounds managed to permeate his hearing, he hastily groped for the remote by his side. In the motion of turning the darn thing off, his fingers stopped on top of the button when he heard the sound of Hanamichi's voice calling out his name. Baffled, he reluctantly lifted his tear-stained face to stare at the screen and flinched when he saw the pair now locked in each other's embrace. Forcing himself to ignore that part, he then tried to focus his attention on hearing what Fujima and Sakuragi were saying. 

_"It's not Kaede but Kenji, Hana." He heard Fujima say and then in response, he heard his boyfriend moaned, __"Kaede..." _

_[What?] Still unsure of what he heard, he sat upright and pushed the rewind button, stopping to that part where his heart shattered, but this time, he forced himself to not think of anything as he waited for that part where he first heard his name called. _

_"Kaede, please stop… I… I can't. It hurts so much." _

There it was. Though Sakuragi's voice was somewhat muffled and though every fiber of his being wanted to kill Fujima for even delving that deep, he actually heard the former begged HIM, called HIM, not Fujima, but HIM. To really make it sure, he rewound it three times and after each confirmation that it was, indeed, his name that the redhead called, his heart began beating with renewed life in his chest. 

_[My name. He called my name. He thought that Fujima was... Me,] and then,__ [so that's why...] _

That bit of revelation was just the thing that he was unknowingly looking for and certain events were slowly becoming clearer to him. Hanamichi's wanton acceptance and responses to Fujima… Hanamichi's cry for him to let Fujima go after he had pried the latter off of him… Hanamichi's heart wrenching cry for him not to leave his side… Hanamichi's love that he felt when the former embraced him, which eventually lulled him to sleep… Everything, everything that Fujima made possible to happen and led HIM to believe happened in that room was all because Hanamichi thought of him, Kaede, while drugged. 

However, before he could allow himself to feel anything akin to relief, there was still one question left, one burning question that could still break him. 

Holding his breath, he continued watching the video without further interruption and his huge sigh of relief dispelled any demons left in his mind and heart when the TV showed his arrival at the scene, timely thwarting Fujima's ultimate intent on his beloved. 

_[Nothing happened… Nothing happened… Hana's still… … God, thank you!] _

Rukawa's heartfelt thanks brought a huge smile on his face and he felt like running up to his sleeping beloved in his bedroom, yank the guy off the bed then hugged him for all that he's worth but… Before he could even begin acting on those inclinations, a loud clutter of noise from outside caught his attention. Looking back in alarm, he was relieved to see no one in sight. Nevertheless, he got up from the chair, turned both the VCR and TV off, wiped his face dry of any remnant of tears, composed himself, then stepped out of his father's office and out of the library to check on the commotion. 

Once outside, he saw the butler picking up broken glasswares on the floor, just near the doorsill of the library. "What happened?" 

The butler stood up and looked apologetic as he said, "It's my fault, Sir. I startled Mr. Sakuragi when I came up from behind him." 

"What?" Rukawa cried. "Hana's awake? Where is he? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in rapid succession, fearful that the redhead had seen the video. 

Though perplexed with his young master's reaction, the butler knows enough not to ask stupid questions thus he answered, "He wanted to tell you himself and I was just about to serve you tea when he ran away as soon as he saw me." 

_[That means… Oh my God…] Rukawa mentally groaned, raking his fingers through his hair. "I've got to find him," he mumbled but before he set out to chase after the redhead… "Tell the guards to not let Hanamichi pass without my permission," he instructed then ran in the direction where the butler pointed his 'aho went._

************************

To be continued.....

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One last chapter to go... yeah.. it's the truth this time _grins...._

As usual... Comments, reviews, crits are most welcome...


	12. The Promise

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**PART 12: THE PROMISE **

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{Rukawa Manor} 

"Hana!" 

The shout resonated throughout the house and it effectively reached the hearing of a certain distraught redhead who stopped dead on his tracks. Whirling around, chocolate colored eyes that should be lighted with happiness upon hearing his name called by that voice were instead clouded and guilt laden as they searched frantically for a place to hide before the raven head could reach him. Finding one, Sakuragi hid behind an ajarred door and waited till the brunette pass by before coming out. 

_[Kitsune...] Following the disappearing figure with teary eyes, Sakuragi wished with all his heart to go after his boyfriend but, __[I can't be with you right now.] Head bowed low, he closed his eyes and clenched his hands, the ache of wanting to be with his kitsune threatening to break him down. Shaking his head, he took deep breaths to calm himself before glancing again in the direction where Rukawa disappeared and with a sad smile, he ran in the opposite direction. His mind plagued by visions of what he saw in the library. _

**** Flashback **** 

An excited redhead ran down the stairs two steps at a time, dashed towards the library and did not even bother to knock but walked right in, obviously excited to surprise a certain fox-eyed brunette. However, upon entering, the brown pupils took in the empty library and the cheeky smile faded. 

Scowling, the Shohoku forward was about to leave and maybe clobber the butler for lying when he saw a light flicker. Walking forward, he peeked behind the huge bookshelf that he passed and found, to his surprise, a room, and Rukawa. 

Smiling broadly again, Sakuragi tiptoed forward, careful not to let his presence known just yet since the other had his back towards him, and was almost near the sliding doors that led to the inner sanctum when Rukawa moved. The movement stopped him in his tracks and shifted his attention to the huge wall-screened TV. 

Once... twice... thrice... The redhead blinked more than three times before recognition dawned on him and all color left his face as he looked in horror at the stilled image in front of him. 

_[No… No… That's not … That's not me…] Sakuragi mentally denied, backing away unconsciously. Then he saw the stilled image moved and his gaze got transfixed on the couple in the video, playing out a scene that triggered a vague memory inside his head, like a dream of sort. Though in his dream, he hazily recalled seeing his boyfriend, not someone else and definitely not Fujima. Confused, he gripped both sides of his head and closed his eyes, shaking it from side to side as if to erase the image of him with Fujima in his mind. _

Then suddenly, _[Kaede…] _

With only a glass door separating them, it would have been easy for Sakuragi to just reach for the handle, slide the door fully open, haul Rukawa to his feet, kiss him to prove his love and then deny, refute, or contradict everything in that video. However, he only got as far as outstretching an arm before retracting it back when the lone figure inside buried his head in-between his hands, obviously in pain, and the sight broke his heart. The urge to comfort his kitsune, to soothe away the latter's pain was too great, but the knowledge that he was the cause of that pain stopped him from barging inside. With tears gathering in his eyes, he slowly made a move to back away again, oblivious now of what was being shown or careless of whatever else that he had done. All he knew was that, he needed to get away, to be away from his significant other. Without further thought, he whirled around and vaguely felt bumping into someone, but since he was heedless of anything anymore, he stormed out of the library without even a backward glance. 

**** End Flashback **** 

Now, after running away, the redhead stood hesitant at the threshold of the solarium. It was rather fitting, and ironic at the same time, that of all the places he wished to find solace and solitude within the manor, his feet carried him to the only place that reminded him so much of Rukawa's love for him. 

Heeding his heart's calling, Sakuragi ventured deeper and unconsciously sighed when he saw the Sakura tree that shades the wooden table and chair where he shared lunch with the Rukawa's earlier that day. Walking around, he touched the tree with one hand then leaned his whole body forward against it, drawing support as well as seeking comfort. Gradually, memories of the time Rukawa first shown affection towards him came drifting back in his mind and it soothed his chaotic nerves somehow. However… Images he saw in the library of him with the former Shoyo captain flashed before his eyes and it immediately chased the happy memories away. 

Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut and moaned, "Fujima..." 

Though his head throbbed at the mention of the name, he forced his brain to link what little he remembered happened before he passed out to the damnable contents of the video. But, try as he might, he could not tie the two together. A huge gap was missing and he could not find it. 

"What happened to me? What made me do it? Why did I do it?" 

Frustrated, Sakuragi banged his head against the trunk of the Sakura tree in hopes that it would knock the images away and knock some sense into him, but to no avail. Spent and emotionally drained, he turned around, leaned against the tree, and then gazed upwards. 

Before, he thought that the stars were angels or souls of the ones who passed away and whenever he was feeling sad or lonely, he would always look up and think that somehow, somewhere, someone was watching over him, keeping him safe. But now, gazing upwards held a deeper meaning for him because no matter if it were night or day, the clear blue of the sky would always remind him of, "Kaede…"_ _

_[I wish someone would tell me that I am just having a nightmare or that that video was a joke. I wish…] . Lowering his head, he slowly slid to the soiled earth then drew his knees to his chest. __[I wish that you would just hold me and tell me that everything will be all right.] But… There was no Rukawa to do just that. No Rukawa to pacify his fears because… __[I ran away from him.] _

Half-burying his face between his knees, "I had to, Kaede. I just had to. I'm sorry." He sobbed, allowing the tears he was holding back to fall freely down his face. 

Just a few feet away, a still panting raven head took in the forlorn picture made by the redhead and his heart contracted at the sight. 

"Hana," Rukawa called but too soft it seemed since it did not even jar the redhead from his crying. 

"Hana!" Rukawa called louder and this time… successful. 

Upon hearing his name, Sakuragi's head shot up and turned slightly to stare at the source of that voice then immediately looked away. Finding his kitsune standing not far from him, mixed emotions started welling up and he felt more pained at the thought that he could not bring himself to walk to the other. Longing… Want… Need… Self-disgust… Anger… Sadness… All those emotions were raging rampant inside of him and Rukawa's presence made it even harder to restrain. 

Oblivious of what his boyfriend was going through, Rukawa made a move to bridge the gap between them but stopped short when the latter suddenly stood up and held a hand. 

Puzzled but waiting, "Please don't come near me, Kaede," Rukawa heard Sakuragi say. 

"Why?" 

Turning his tear stained face away, "Just don't," the redhead said but Rukawa would hear nothing of it. There was no way that he would stay even a minute away from his 'aho if he could help it. Hence, without saying anything, he walked silently towards Sakuragi and hugged him from behind. "I'm sorry, Hana, but I can't stay away. I don't want to be away from you ever again." After saying that, he felt the other tensed and went rigid within his embrace but he did not give much notice in that. All he knew and cared about was that things would be okay since the redhead was with him again. 

If Shohoku's ace basketball player thought that things would be as easy as that then he was greatly mistaken for Sakuragi only allowed himself a moment to savor the feel of those arms around him before breaking away. Without even thinking of what his actions might do to the raven head, he took a hesitant step forward away from the latter and would have continued if not for... 

"Wait!" Rukawa called, catching hold of Sakuragi's hand. "Where are you going?" 

Without looking back, "Away. If you can't stay away from me then I'll leave," Sakuragi replied, his voice almost breaking as he said those words. 

"What? Why?" 

Shaking his head, "I need time alone. Time to sort things out and to find out what happened," he explained with tears falling down his face. 

_[What?] Not letting go of the hand he was holding, Rukawa walked around and stood in front of Sakuragi. Face to face, his breath hitched when he saw the tears and the expression of anguish on his 'aho's face. Instinctively, his free hand reached out and tenderly brushed the tears away. "Hana, I..." He started but stopped when the redhead slapped his hand away. _

"Leave me alone, Kitsune, just... just let me be for a while!" Sakuragi half-cried, tugging his hand and whirling around, heading for the exit. 

"No, wait!" 

Pausing mid-way, the redhead glanced back and his heart ached when he saw confusion and hurt marring his boyfriend's handsome face. Tearing his gaze, _[How could I stay when all I could give him now is more pain and sadness?] _Clenching his hands, he squeezed his eyes shut and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here much longer." Ignoring the audible gasp, he took deep breaths and opened his teary eyes to stare unseeingly in front of him then said in a firmer tone, "And…I don't think I can marry you either. Not now. Not after what happened," he ended with a choke; bowing his head low as the sobs that came after that statement started rocking his body, gluing him from where he was standing. 

As for Rukawa… The raven head felt like he got struck by lightning. His face became deathly pale and all he could hear for a moment were the words... 

_ I don't think I can marry you… I don't think I can marry you… I don't think I can marry you… _

… echoing in his ears, tearing his heart. He could not move. He could not react. But when Sakuragi made a move to advance further towards the inner solarium's exit, it effectively jarred him back to his senses and his expression became determined. _[I won't let you leave me, Hanamichi. Not now… Not ever!]_ Thus with that in mind, he ran the distance and clamped his hand hard on Sakuragi's shoulder, turning the latter around. "No! You're not leaving this place. You're not leaving me and you are definitely going to marry me," he stated through barely controlled anger, heedless of the other's state of personal distress. 

"No… No… No…" The redhead kept saying, shaking his head vigorously from side to side, as he tried to push Rukawa away but the other just would not let go of his arm. However, after a while, "No!" He shouted, pushing with all his might and finally succeeding. "I said leave me alone! Can't you understand that I can't be with you anymore?" Backing away, his expression was one of self-loathing and anger as he ranted, "I've betrayed you! I have been with another man. Aren't you even mad with that? Don't you even feel jealous or disgusted?" 

With tears streaming down his face, he shoved Rukawa aside and ran back towards the Sakura tree. However, as luck would have it, a fallen tree branch tripped him before he could reach the exit on the other side. Furious with himself and with the situation, he slammed his fist hard on the ground and stayed down till he was hauled to his feet. "I said leave…" he tried saying but a fist connected painfully to his jaw, making him land hard on his butt on the soiled ground. 

Eyeing his fallen beloved, "Did you think that I loved watching that video or even having witnessed it myself?" Rukawa fumed, hands clenched on his sides. "I was hurt, yes, and I have been feeling like hell ever since Hanagata told me about Fujima's feelings for you!" He half-shouted and disregarded the look of aghast that replaced the surprise on Sakuragi's face. 

"Kaede, I…" 

"Shut up!" Rukawa interjected, blue eyes glinting with naked pain and anger. Raking his fingers through his tousled dark tresses, "You don't know half of what I went through the minute I found out that he took you and since I knew of his feelings for you…" Shaking his head, "I was scared, frantic, desperate, and almost went out of my mind with worry and dread. Then… When I finally caught up with you…" Exhaling, he crouched beside Sakuragi, leveling their gazes, and encased one basketball callous hand into his as he softly said, "… you were there on the bed, with him." 

Seeing the blue pupils glistening with unshed tears and add the pain and sadness shrouding the handsome face, Sakuragi threw his earlier resolutions to the wind and followed what his heart had been telling him to do ever since Rukawa found him. Without anymore hesitation or qualms on his part, he leaned towards the other's chest and cried, "I'm sorry, Kaede. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." 

Wrapping his arms around the other, Rukawa held the crying redhead in his arms and his face softened to one of tenderness. "Shh… I know, Hana, I know," he cajoled, stroking Sakuragi's back and kissing the latter's forehead. "Please don't cry anymore. You know that I can't bear to see you cry." 

Controlling the sobs, "I can't help it. Just thinking that I have hurt you… that I have caused you pain… I… I don't want to think about it anymore, Kaede. Please make it stop." Sakuragi mumbled, burrowing deeper within the warmth of the embrace. 

Realizing the uncomfortable position that they were in, Rukawa moved close to the Sakura tree and leaned his back against it, pulling the redhead with him. Once comfortable, he drew Sakuragi close to his chest, just like what he did in the car, and wrapped his arms tightly around the other. 

Placing his chin on top of the crimson mane, "It will, Hana-kun, I promise. But before that, I want you to swear that you'd never try and leave me again." 

"But what if I hurt you again?" 

Laughing softly, "You might. But as long as I know that I have your love, I could handle it. However… If you leave me," Tightening his arms around the other, "I don't think I could handle that, Hana-kun. Please… Please promise me that you'll always be with me. No matter what. No matter what happens. Promise me!" 

Sakuragi was speechless and for a moment, thoughts of Fujima and of what he did vanished entirely from his mind. All he could think of were Rukawa's words and something with the way he said them made him remember a rather similar conversation they had not so long ago. 

*** Flashback *** 

{Rooftop – Shohoku High School} 

After finishing their shared lunch, Rukawa moved to sit in-between his legs and leaned against his chest. Making out on school grounds was never their thing so he knew that the other simply wanted to cuddle, a loving habit that his kitsune had grown accustomed to, much to his delight. Thus, with a slight chuckle, he wrapped his arms around the other and he himself leaned against the railing to support both their weights. 

As he was enjoying the companionable silence, his mind drifted to a pressing problem of what to give his kitsune on Valentine's day when the latter suddenly spoke, breaking his thoughts as well as surprising him for he thought that the other had fallen asleep, as always. 

"See that Sakura tree Hana-kun?" Rukawa pointed to the lone tree standing near the school grounds. "Its petals may wilt and die and the tree's magnificence might be lost for some time but as long as the tree itself is kept alive, the petals would again bloom and give the tree back its famed beauty and grandeur." 

After hearing such remark from his usually tight-lipped and rarely romantic boyfriend, he laughed. 

"I'm sorry, Kaede, but I am just not used to hear such words from you. Go on, continue," he urged after planting an apologetic kiss on Rukawa's lips when the latter turned to glare at him. 

Though pacified, Rukawa did not return to his previous position but instead leaned sideways. Instinctively, he raised his leg left up and let his kitsune use his left leg and arm as headrest. 

Seeing the seriousness that suddenly beset his boyfriend's blue eyes, he refrained from further saying anything and just waited as he trail his forefinger along the other's jaw. With blue gaze locked onto his, "Hana... You... You do love me, right?" 

Of all the possible things that Rukawa might say, he did not expect that one. Smiling, "Why ask me when you already know the answer?" He baited, tapping the other's nose, and waited. 

Rising to the bait, "Just answer me, 'aho," Rukawa snapped and he grinned before swooping to claim the brunette's lips for a searing kiss that could easily be answer enough. However, knowing his boyfriend's tendency to be obstinate... "Yes, I do love you, Kaede Rukawa, with all my heart," he said after he broke their kiss. "Satisfied?" Seeing a nod and a small smile, "Now, what does loving you have to do with all that thing you said about that tree?" He asked. 

At that, Rukawa sat up straight and faced him with a somber expression. "Nothing much but, I want to ask you something." When he nodded his head, Rukawa continued and stared solemnly into his eyes. "You're thinking of a Valentine's gift for me, right?" 

Taken aback, he looked away, sheepish, and started stammering, "Er... yeah well..." 

Rukawa shook his head and immediately cut him off by saying, "I don't need anything from you but a promise." Feeling his hands gripped, he turned to look at Rukawa and heard him say, "A promise that whatever happens we make our relationship as strong as that Sakura tree, withstanding the tides as long as we keep our love for each other alive. Can you do that?" 

Tongue-tied, he could only stare dumbly at first and then chuckled as he said, "You worry too much." 

Rukawa shook his head again and said, "Just promise me, Hana!" 

Seeing that his boyfriend would not let the matter drop... He unclasped his hands from the other and tenderly cupped the face before him then said, "I promise that whatever happens, we stick together. You and I. Ok?" 

With that, Rukawa nodded his head and sighed then returned to his earlier position of leaning against his chest, sleeping the afternoon away in his arms till its time for them to conveniently return to their respective classes. 

*** End Flashback *** 

_[A promise… I've promised him before and I almost broke that promise by running away.] _

Feeling a surprising calm settling inside of him, Sakuragi broke free from the tight embrace and looked straight into cobalt blue eyes then said, "I promise that whatever happens, we stick together. You and I." It was a repeat of what he said that other time and by the look of the smile that transformed his kitsune's face with one of sheer beauty and perfection, he knew that Rukawa remembered. 

Overflowing with happiness, the raven head cupped the tear stained face and kissed his beloved 'aho, making the remnants of whatever pain, sadness, or anything negative that he had felt fade into nothingness. 

Breaking apart, "I love you, Hanamichi." 

Leaning his forehead against the other, "I love you too, Kaede." 

Locked in each other's embrace, the couple savored each other's presence for a while before Rukawa broke it by saying, "I think it's time that you know everything and by everything I mean watching the whole video. Are you ready for that?" 

"I'm not but, if it means knowing everything then I don't have a choice now, do I?" 

Nodding, "No. You don't. But there's really nothing to be worried about." Stroking the redhead's face, "You didn't betray me, Hana," he softly revealed, whispering against the other's ear. 

Baffled, "Huh? But I saw…" 

Standing up, Rukawa offered his hand and hauled the redhead to his feet. "You'll know soon enough. Now come." 

While dusting the fallen leaves from their clothes, Sakuragi noticed Rukawa's left arm. "Kitsune! What happened? Why are you hurt?" He asked in succession, already checking the said arm for its injury. 

"It's nothing. It's just a minor cut that I got after breaking through Fujima's window." 

"What?" 

"I'll explain later. Now, come on," Rukawa urged, leaving the solarium hand-in-hand as they head straight for the library. 

Once at the threshold, Sakuragi stopped and tugged at the hand that was holding his. "Will you stay with me?" 

Though the raven head knew that his boyfriend was referring to the watching of the video, his smile of assurance and promise was for eternity as he said, "Always, Hanamichi. I'll always stay with you." 

With that, Sakuragi followed Rukawa into the library and thought that whatever happens or whatever he may see, _[everything would be okay as long as I have Kaede with me.]_

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THE END 

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_Epilogue to be posted soon..................... _

Minna... Thank you very much for reading and supporting this fic... I can't thank you all enough. I hope you guys liked the ending though. and as always.. Please read and review. If you find anything wrong with the way I write please tell me so I would know. I'm not saying that I would do it but... who knows? _winks_


	13. Epilogue

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**EPILOGUE: THE GIFT OF YOUR LOVE **

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{A year later – Rukawa Manor} 

Shinji and Naomi Rukawa, both looking elegant and as much the aristocrat as they were known to be, stood side by side just right outside their mansion as they welcomed and bade visitors who comes and goes. Only a few wore familiar faces and some of those were still at the solarium where the main festivity was still ongoing. 

"Stop fidgeting, Shinji," Naomi scolded her husband for the nth time that night. 

"This suit is stifling me!" 

Smiling at another nameless guest, "It's not that different from the suits you wear almost everyday." 

"It is different! And I wish that all these people would just go home so I could change into a more comfortable attire." 

"Patience honey. It's not everyday that your only child gets married." 

Trying not to scowl as another guest passed by, "Thank God for that but, do remind me to just let him and his new found, er… husband handle all the parties after this. Okay?" 

Laughing, Naomi clasped her hand on her husband's arm and said, "You know as well as I do that Kaede won't have a party unless he could help it and besides, you like all this hoopla. You like having this huge house filled with people." 

Sighing, he patted his wife's hand and said, "True. Speaking of this house, did Kaede tell you where he and Hanamichi would be living?" 

"Yes, in Hanamichi's house. Not only is it near Kanagawa University but he wants to live where Hanamichi is most comfortable." Shaking her head, "Guess we'll be seeing less of Kaede now that he has his own family." Naomi stated with a thoughtful smile. 

Looking down on his wife, Shinji thought of something all of a sudden. Seeing one of the best man at the wedding, "Youhei-kun, could you be our substitute for a while? I just have to take Mrs. Rukawa somewhere. Would that be okay?" Shinji asked. 

"We'd be glad to. Right guys?" Mito asked, turning towards his three other friends who nodded in acquiescence. 

"Thanks." After saying that, Shinji pulled his baffled wife inside the house and straight towards the den. 

"What's the matter, Shinji?" 

Gazing into a pair of clear blue eyes that were the exact replica of his son's, Shinji took a deep breath before asking, "Are you okay with this, Naomi? Now that Kaede is married, you won't have a child to dote and worry over anymore." 

For a while, Naomi stared at her husband and wondered where the concern was coming from. Then she remembered the incident when their daughter died and understood her husband's question. Smiling her understanding, she clasped Shinji's hand and said, "I am okay with it, honey. I did not loose a child. In fact, I gained a very boisterous one and I'm sure that I'll have my hands full with Hanamichi." 

Relieved, Shinji smiled back and kissed his wife tenderly on her forehead before standing up and offering his hand. "Come. Let's both enjoy and share in the celebration of our son's happiest day and nothing's going to ruin it for me, not even this stifling suit." 

Taking the offered hand, "Yes, let's. We have to relieve Hanamichi's friends of that boring task you gave them so they could enjoy the party." But once they stepped into the living room, Naomi saw her childhood friend. 

"Hanami!" She called and a rather beautiful woman with dark tresses and sparkling blue eyes turned and waved. 

Frowning, "Who invited them?" 

"I saw their son's name in the invitation list so it's but natural that I invite them also. I haven't seen and talked with Hanami for ages." Naomi replied in excitement. 

"Please don't tell me that we're going to talk to them. I don't like that husband of hers." Shinji complained but was already following his wife. 

"Why not? He's charming and very friendly." 

"Too friendly and too charming for my taste and I often wondered if someone had plastered that smile on his face." 

"Ssshh… stop saying that. You're starting to sound like your son," Naomi rebuked, elbowing her husband. "Go and change places with Youhei-kun and the others and leave me with them if you find him so distasteful. Though why you and Kaede feel that way about him and his son is beyond me." 

"Leave you? With him? No way!" 

Thus, Naomi was left with no other choice but to have her over jealous and possessive husband by her side, smiling albeit sulking inwardly, while she talk with the Sendoh's. 

********************************************* 

{Outside the manor} 

"What do you think Hanamichi and Rukawa are doing right now?" Takamiya questioned, turning towards his slightly taller dark-haired friend. 

Looking somewhat bored, "What do you think?" 

Slightly peeved, "Okay… Where do you think Rukawa took Hanamichi for their honeymoon then?" Takamiya questioned differently this time. 

Turning towards his chubby friend, "Do you even know Rukawa? Do you think that he would actually talk to anybody about that?" Mito sarcastically countered. 

"Why? You think he's paranoid after what happened last year?" Noma asked. 

Shrugging, "Maybe. Who knows what goes on inside that head of his?" 

"Hmm… that reminds me. Why did you wait half a year before telling us about the Fujima incident?" 

"Yeah. You were so tight lipped about it after you came back to the party with smiley. It was obvious that you were hiding something, what with you and Sendoh doing that song and dance of evading everybody's question about birthday boy's absence." 

"I told you guys already. It was not mine to tell. Besides, Rukawa made me promise not to tell anyone and since it was understandable, I agreed." 

"Don't mind them, Youhei. We do understand and we're glad that you waited till Hanamichi was ready for us to know." Noma interjected. 

"Ooh… but there's one thing that came out good with that Fujima incident." Takamiya pointed. Three sets of eyes turned towards him. 

Crossing his arms, "What pray tell is that?" Mito asked. 

"Yeah, Takamiya. What could possibly come out good after what happened to Hanamichi?" Ookusu added while Noma looked on. 

Placing his hands over his mouth to stifle his growing laughter, Takamiya held on to his revelation for a while before blurting out, "First, that we got Hanamichi's presents. Second, that we were able to find out that Hanamichi is not the only one who got hooked after April Fool's day." 

After saying that, three members of Sakuragi's Gundan erupted in chorused laughter and would have laughed even if their sides ached if Noma had not recognize the thunderous look being given to them by their friend. 

Brushing the tears that had gathered in his eyes, "I'm sorry but it is hilarious and you'd think it too if you're in our shoes. I mean, next to Hanamichi, who would have thought that you're also gay." That earned Noma a hard jab on his shoulder and he actually staggered sideways from its force. 

"Not to mention that you fell for the most unlikely person that you could fall for." Ookusu stated, still laughing. 

"And speaking of the said unlikely person, lover boy number two is heading our way to claim his little love," Takamiya pointed and laughed even more when he saw his friend blushed. 

"So this is where you guys disappeared to, I've been looking all over," The newcomer stated, snaking an arm around his boyfriend's waist. 

Controlling his mirth, "Why? Missed your little 'bun' already?" Takamiya teased. 

Smiling sheepishly, "Well, yeah. But could you blame me? I've only had this precious brunette for just a month." 

"That's because you spent most of the year getting over Hanamichi," Noma pointed. 

Sendoh worriedly looked down his newfound boyfriend and said, "Not true. I may have spent 3 or 4 months pining for him but the rest I spent convincing your friend here that my intentions for him are real." 

"Just out of curiosity and not that we're prying or anything but… How DID you manage to fall for Youhei?" Ookusu queried, still with that goofy grin plastered on his face. 

Looking thoughtful, "I really don't know. All I know is that, I woke up one day seeing not Hana-kun's face but Youhei's. It confused me at first and I pondered over it for a while." Scratching his chin, "I remembered staying away from Youhei because of that to think and recheck my feelings. But I didn't know that staying away from him would be too hard. Of course, I thought that I only missed his company because as you guys know, he and I became close after that Fujima incident." Chuckling, he went behind his also curious boyfriend, wrapped his arms around the latter and said, "Hmm… Maybe it's safe to assume that my feelings for this guy started when he was trying his best to make me forget Hana-kun." 

Lips twitching, "I only did that for Hanamichi's peace of mind. Just imagine his worry every time you came along and he sees Rukawa going nuts with jealousy over you." Mito remarked and sighed as he lean against the warmth behind him. 

Tightening his arms, "Uh huh… Remind me to thank you later for saving me then, Youhei-bun," Sendoh cooed. 

Mito blushed against the teasing stare his friends were giving him but before he could answer that one, Noma interrupted him by saying, "That… What's with that 'bun' part? It's not Youhei at all!" 

Placing his head onto Mito's shoulder, "It's my pet name for him. See, 'bun' is short for bunny because he was so elusive before but now that I have caught him…" Grinning, "I just shortened it to Youhei-bun." 

"And you're okay with that?" Noma inquired, staring at Mito. 

Shrugging, "Better than being called honey, or sweetheart, or darling." 

Noma, Takamiya and Ookusu laughed at that and were still laughing when another Shohoku couple, bitten by the same April Fool's love bug, came strolling towards them. 

"Hi guys. What are you doing here? The party's still in full swing back in the solarium." Mitsui asked with an arm casually slung over his slightly shorter boyfriend. 

Still not that comfortable of their relationship, Mito wriggled free from Sendoh's embrace but remained standing close to the warmth as he replied, "Rukawa's parents asked us to be their substitute for a while but for what, we really don't know." Shrugging, "Guess we'll just have to wait till they come back." 

"Oh…" Mitsui mouthed. 

"So… What brings you two out here?" Sendoh inquired, mirroring Mitsui's posture by slinging his own arm around his own petite boyfriend. 

"The solarium is starting to get crowded. Too many visitors and I can't find half of the people I know in there." Miyagi answered, not at all surprised about Sendoh and Mito's relationship since he kept contact with Sakuragi. 

"Hmm… I saw Haruko, Ayako, and Megane-kun left a while ago. Then, Gori, Boss Monkey and Hikoichi left much earlier than that. Gori was saying something about a practice game or something," Noma stated, scratching his chin. 

"That would be the practice game that we'll be having against Kanagawa University next week. I believe Rukawa and Sakuragi are the golden rookie that Maki and Akagi are preparing for?" Mitsui asked, turning to Sendoh in which the latter nodded his head in agreement. 

Changing the topic, "Hey, Ryochin. Do you have any plans of following Hanamichi's footsteps?" Ookusu suddenly blurted. 

Wide eyed, "What? Get married?" Seeing a nod, "I don't think so. Hisashi and I are happy with the way things are and marriage is not our thing," Shohoku's once ace point guard replied. 

"YET!" 

Turning towards his scarred face lover, "Huh?" 

Looking down onto the puzzled face, "We might not have talked about it yet, Ryo-kun, but I do intend to settle down one day, and since Rukawa and Sakuragi are able to pull it off..." 

"Hisashi…" Miyagi trailed, touched by the seriousness that suddenly beset his always-playful lover. 

Breaking the moment, "Yo what's up?" Said a newcomer with a rather long silky black hair tied in a ponytail. 

The small group manning the fort, as Mito earlier explained, turned to regard the three newcomers and something like dejavu struck Mito into saying, "What is this? A reunion or something?" 

Kiyota, Jin, and Hanagata, along with Sendoh and the others, laughed at Mito's rather weird expression. 

"It kinna seems like it, doesn't it?" Jin commented with a smile. 

"Yeah. Can't believe that it's been a year since that dating game," Hanagata added. 

Snorting, "Hmph… Still can't believe that that red monkey got hitched." 

"Don't tell me you're jealous, Kiyota." 

Turning towards the resident ace basketball player of Kanagawa University, "Why would I be? I've got my own love and that monkey could not even hold a candle to him," Kiyota proudly beamed. 

The former 3-point player of Kainan High could not help but blush to the roots of his hair when all eyes zeroed in on him. And it did not help when his rowdy boyfriend wrapped a possessive arm around his waist either. 

Laughing, "I don't think Rukawa would agree with you, Kiyota, though I doubt that you guys would ever see eye to eye," Sendoh commented. 

"Hey, Youhei. Do you still remember the time when Rukawa got wind of what Kiyota did to Hanamichi last year?" Takamiya suddenly asked. 

Chuckling, "Yup! I believe that Kiyota got a fist on his eye for that," Mito replied and all four members of Sakuragi's Gundan broke out laughing when they saw the sudden blush that crept into Kiyota's face. 

"SHUT UP!" Kiyota bellowed, but to his consternation, the others, and his boyfriend as well, joined in the laughter. With chibby eyes, "Soi-chan, you too?" 

Relenting, Jin squeezed the arm holding his waist and said, "I'm sorry, Nobu-kun, but it was really funny at that time and you deserved it for doing that to Sakuragi." 

"You don't love me anymore," Kiyota pouted, rubbing his forehead against his taller lover's shoulder. 

Ruffling the wild mane, "That's not true and you know it," Jin chided with fondness. 

"Just be thankful that you were able to escape an even heavier punishment when you left me and Fujima that time in my house. If you've stayed, them maybe… " 

"HA! I'm not afraid of Rukawa. And for your information, I didn't escape. Soi-chan here needed me for last minute instructions about the team and I'm glad that I went." Turning his gaze away from Sendoh, Kiyota stared at Jin and said, "Or we wouldn't have gotten together." 

Jin smiled and his heart fluttered at the love that was clearly shining for him in his boyfriend's baby blue eyes. 

Coughing, "Sorry," Hanagata said as both Kiyota and Jin turned to stare at him. "You guys are starting to get all lovey dovey for my taste and I am kinna missing my girlfriend." 

Out of the blue, "Er… Hanagata-san, where are Fujima and Maki-san?" Sendoh asked with caution, stepping beside his boyfriend who had fallen silent after watching Jin and Kiyota's display of affection to each other. 

"Yeah. Where are they? I thought they were coming." Jin also inquired. 

Adjusting his spectacles, "They opted to stay in Tokyo in the last minute, and yes, they are both doing fine and are still together," Hanagata divulged, reading the unspoken question behind Sendoh's words. 

"Why? Were they ever in danger of breaking up?" Mitsui queried. "Did you notice anything, Ryo-kun?" 

"Nope. They're like the sweetest couple on campus so why would they be breaking up?" 

"Why would they be breaking up? Maki-san and Fujima-san IS the perfect couple! Well, next to Soi-chan and me, of course," Kiyota boasted, much to Jin's chagrin again. 

Sendoh, Hanagata, and the Gundan sweatdropped as they remembered that Mitsui, Miyagi, and even Kiyota and Jin knew nothing of the events that happened same date of last year. Not willing to disclose the reason behind the question just yet, Sendoh and Hanagata tried racking their brains for something to throw the others but it was Mito who cracked the tense silence by saying, "You know… I think we ought to thank Hanamichi one day. All six (6) of us." Noticing the raised eyebrows and the blank looks, "I mean, Akira and I, Jin and Kiyota and Mitsui and Miyagi. If it weren't for his birthday celebration, then the six (6) of us wouldn't have found our true love." 

Drawing his beloved within his embrace, "Am I your true love, Youhei?" Sendoh asked in all seriousness. 

Forgetting his shyness, Mito turned to stare at his 'own' blue-eyed boyfriend and said, "May you be a boy or girl, I know that you're meant for me, Akira, and I'm not afraid to show it anymore." As proof, he wrapped his arms around Sendoh's neck and pulled the latter down for them to share a kiss meant to tell everyone of their newfound relationship. 

Three sets of eyes widened in disbelief and amazement but said nothing. Jin turned towards his boyfriend after the shock receded and whispered something which the latter hastily agreed. Saying their goodbyes, the pair set off to their own home to spend quality time together. After which, Hanagata immediately followed suit, Mitsui dragged Miyagi somewhere, and Noma and the others decided to search for their own love by going back to the party. 

Needing air, Sendoh and Mito broke apart and it took them quite awhile before they noticed that they were the only ones left standing outside the mansion. Both chuckling, "Guess we scared them off, huh?" Mito questioned, in which Sendoh answered by claiming his lips once again for a quick searing kiss before saying, "I love you, Youhei." 

Mito blushed and hid his head inside Sendoh's jacket. "I love you too, Akira." 

Hearing the words, Sendoh could not help the whoop of sheer joy that escaped his lips for it was the first time that Mito said the words to him. He knew that the other loved him, he could feel it, but hearing it meant so much more. Cupping his blushing boyfriend's face, "Do you know how happy you've just made me tonight?" 

Masking his own happiness, Mito forced a bland expression then said, "Hmm… I dunno. How?" 

Not buying the fake look, Sendoh tap the tip of Mito's nose and said, "You've made me happier than what Rukawa and Hana-kun might be feeling right now." 

Laughing out loud, "Now that is way happy. I don't think we could rival what those two are feeling right now," Mito remarked as he leaned his face back inside Sendoh's jacket. 

Gazing upwards,_ [wherever you are Hana-kun, I wish you all the happiness in the world and thank you for bringing Youhei to me.] _

******************************************** 

{Somewhere} 

The twinkling of the stars, the clear blue sky above, the tranquility of the surrounding, the warm but humid breeze of the night and the raven head in his arms, all made a certain birthday boy blissfully happy and he thought that nothing could be more perfect. 

Sneaking a peek at the sleeping face of his kitsune, Sakuragi sighed in content before turning his gaze back to the stars. He still could not fully believe that he and Rukawa did it. They really got married. Before, he thought that marriage for the two of them was just word of mouth and that they would not actually go through with the proceeding. However, Rukawa was Rukawa; determined and never gave up until he got what he wanted. He remembered laughing his head off when the fox-eyed brunette told him that they would be 'sealing their promise of eternity' on his birthday. He did not take the other seriously of course but as time passed by and his birthday drew near, he could not help but accept what the other kept insisting. The preparation, the fitting of the suits, the setting of the place where they were going to say their vows, the invitations, the food, the band, EVERYTHING! Rukawa took care of everything up to the smallest detail and all that was really left for him to do was to choose a song. Sure, choose a song. If it was as easy as pointing a finger to a certain title listed on a song page then he would not have spent an entire month fretting over it. It had to be the perfect song. Perfect to express his love for his dark haired soon-to-turn-lover-and-husband. After a painstaking month of searching, he finally found it. True that the ceremony was indeed planned to perfection and that the guests were especially awed with the way the solarium was transformed into a small Garden of Eden but it was not till the song he chose got played did the significance of that day dawned on everyone. Rukawa's mother was in tears, Youhei and the others were slightly surprised with the sappiness of the song he chose but none of those mattered to him. His only concern was to see if Rukawa got the message of the song. His answer, though, came in the form of sapphire orbs glistening with tears and the tightening of the hand holding his own. 

Still smiling in remembrance, a movement by the body snuggled against him brought him back from his happy recollection and when he looked down, a pair of sleepy blue eyes met his gaze. 

Stretching, "Hmm… Didn't you sleep?" 

Staring lovingly at his blue-eyed lover, "I couldn't sleep." 

Lifting himself on one elbow, "Why? Are you still sore? Did it hurt that much?" Rukawa questioned in sudden alarm. 

For a second, Sakuragi did not understand what his lover was talking about but when he did, he reached out and affectionately tapped the other's nose. "I'm fine, Kaede. It was painful, yes, but you made me forget the pain soon after. So don't worry about it." 

Sighing in relief, Rukawa laid his head once again on Sakuragi's chest, "So what were you doing?" He asked, drawing circles around a rosy bud. 

Feeling the tingle of pleasure, Sakuragi looked down and replied, "Just thinking." 

"Of what?" Rukawa pressed, transferring his teasing towards the other nipple. 

"Stuffs, but mostly about what happened today." 

Satisfied to see that the twin buds were now rock hard, Rukawa gave both a quick peck before shifting his body to transfer his ministration on Sakuragi's neck. "What about it?" 

Loving the feel of the roving tongue on his neck, "Nothing much, but erm… Kaede, can we go downstairs? I mean, don't you think making love again on top of your yacht without so much as a roof over our heads is a tad bit… pushing our luck?" 

Though busy with teasing an ear lobe, Rukawa managed to whisper, "Why? Are you getting cold?" 

Tilting his head to the side to give the roaming lips more access, "Not really. Your body keeps me warm but… It is rather eerie to be 'openly' naked like this. What if your crew comes up and sees us? Or… What if an airplane or a helicopter passes by and sees us? Won't it be awkward and embarrassing to say the least?" 

Trailing his lips lower, "You think too much. Don't worry about the crew. They know better than to disturb us," Rukawa replied, his lips reaching Sakuragi's collarbone. 

"But it's still disconcerting to know that people might see us having sex," the redhead pressed then moaned when a portion of his skin was sucked into a moist warm cavern. 

Kissing the mark he just created, Rukawa crawled on top of his bashful lover and rained kisses all over the reddened face while saying, "Like what you have already said earlier, Hana-kun, making love. Having sex are for people seeking temporary release and ours is nothing like that." 

Sakuragi was about to say something when Rukawa shut him off with a searing passionate kiss, making him temporarily forget everything except for the guy on top of him. Minutes later, after breaking apart for air, Rukawa placed his elbows on both sides of his 'aho's face and tenderly brushed the tendrils that kept the honey brown eyes hidden from his view. He savored looking down his still panting lover for a while then rolled onto his back and gathered Sakuragi to him. 

Resting his head against Rukawa's beating heart, "Kitsune, what made you choose the sea instead of dry land for our honeymoon?" Sakuragi queried. 

Stroking the crimson mane on his chest, "I want to be able to celebrate your birthday as well as our wedding night longer than we could." 

Looking up, "Huh?" 

Taking a deep breath, Rukawa smiled down and said, "Your birthday and our wedding day should be ending in about 3 hours or so from now. Right?" Seeing a nod, "Well, since I want to make up for the time we lost last year, I decided to have our wedding night here in Japan then celebrate your birthday elsewhere where it would still be April 1st." 

Still confused, "Today IS my birthday and IS our wedding night. And we are celebrating it both, aren't we?" 

Shaking his head, "No we're not. This day and this night are for the both of us. But yours would be tomorrow's. I want tomorrow to be YOUR day while I just celebrate it with you. 

"You're not making sense. How in the world are we…?" The redhead stopped, realizing something all of a sudden. Sitting up, he stared out into the night and only then did he notice something. Maybe it was the almost inaudible hum of the engine, or the surprising calmness of the sea, or maybe because Rukawa made him forget everything that he failed to notice that the yacht never anchored. 

Still staring out, "Where's this yacht taking us, Kitsune?" 

"Near an airfield outside Japan where a Concorde is waiting to take us to New York." 

_[WHAT?]_ Dumbfounded, Sakuragi stared wide-eyed at his lover before exploding, "Have you gone nuts?" Making a move to stand, he was halted by a hand on his arm and a worried voice saying, "Where are you going?" In which he replied with, "Anywhere but New York!" 

Still keeping a tight grip on Sakuragi's arm, "Stop it, 'aho. You can't do anything about it now. We're going and that's that." Rukawa stated in a tone that brooked no argument. 

Feeling the rise of anger within him, "Who the hell made you the boss of me? Don't think that just because I'm legally tied to you that you could just order me around. I am still my own person, Rukawa." 

_[Shit!]_ The brunette inwardly cursed upon hearing his last name. He could recognize the brewing anger even in his sleep. Reluctantly admitting that he was at fault in a way, he quenched his own growing irritation and pulled himself up to embrace the redhead. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like I'm ordering you around. Please, let's not fight," he implored. 

Inhaling Rukawa's scent, the redhead mellowed a little and wrapped his own arms around the other. "I'm sorry too," he mumbled. Then added in the same tone of voice, "I just don't want you spending money on me. First, you took it on yourself to arrange our wedding and I let you do that. Then this yacht and now you expect me to just fly to New York?" Pressing his forehead onto Rukawa's shoulder, "That's just too much. You're starting to make me feel like a wallflower, Kaede. Please, please don't make me feel less of what I am." 

Feeling like a heel, Rukawa lifted the head from his shoulder and made the brown orbs meet his gaze by cupping the boyish face. Seeing the sadness within the brown depths, he drew in his breath before saying, "I never meant for you to feel that way, Hana-kun, and God knows that I only want to make you happy." Rubbing both his thumb along his Hana's cheekbones, "But if by showering you with everything that I have is making you sad then… I promise to tone it down a bit and let you know my plans first." 

That snapped the redhead from his melancholy and lifted one brow as he said, "Tone it down? You mean there's gonna be more?" 

Trying not to smile at the incredulous expression that replaced the sadness in his beloved's eyes, Rukawa forced his voice to remain placid as he said, "Maybe. Look, we have an eternity to live together, Hana, and you can't completely turn away from who I am. And who I am is someone who might want to give his love one a gift from time to time or whisk him off somewhere to occasionally get away. Now is that bad?" 

Seeing the logic but still not relenting, "No it's not but…" 

Placing a finger to silence the redhead, "That's all I needed to hear," Rukawa said before replacing his finger with his lips. After the chaste kiss, "So, do you forgive me for not telling you about New York?" Seeing the crimson head bob a little, "We're going to New York then, right?" He asked in hope. 

With his resolve crumbling beneath the pleading gaze, Sakuragi sighed in resignation and said, "Yeah. We are." Catching the fleeting triumphant grin, "Just this once, and no more surprises you sneaky kitsune." 

Nodding his head, Rukawa's grin turn into a smile as he urge Sakuragi to lie back down. After snuggly cuddling the redhead beside him, he said, "Thank you, Hana-kun. I promise that you won't regret a minute of it." 

"Why New York anyway?" 

"Why not? I heard that it's a great city to visit. Besides I've always wanted to see Madison Square Garden." 

"It figures. You're just thinking about basketball again instead of me," Sakuragi snorted. 

"Do'aho," Rukawa laughingly chided. "We have a tour guide who'll be showing us the sights during the day, and then, later at night…" Dropping his voice to a husky whisper, "I'll let you do anything you want with me." He said and smirked when he saw his beloved blushed. 

"Anything?" Sakuragi mumbled, hiding his face. 

"Yeah, anything. I've always dreamed of you making love to me you know," Rukawa revealed with a chuckle. 

Startled, "Since when?" 

Placing one hand beneath his head, Rukawa gazed up to the stars as he softly said, "Since last year." 

"Last year? But you haven't…" 

"… said anything?" Rukawa finished. 

"Yeah," was Sakuragi's shy reply. "And here I thought I was the only one with such thoughts since you've always told me that you want to wait for the right time." 

Closing his eyes, Rukawa absently trailed a finger up and down Sakuragi's arm as he almost inaudibly said, "Yeah, I know." Feeling a burning gaze on him, he opened his eyes and met his beloved's inquisitive gaze. Knowing what was behind that look, he removed his hand from beneath his head then reached to tenderly caress the face that was always in his dreams and realized that he should tell the other what he had planned for them last year. "Hana…" He started. "Last year," clearing his throat, "do you remember the phone call you got from me while you were driving to Sendoh's house?" 

Nodding, "Yes. You said that you were gonna take me somewhere." 

"Actually, I was supposed to take you back to Kiyoto back then. Not to see the Sakura tree and listen to music like what we've done the year before that but…" Tracing the outline of the redhead's lips, "I was supposed to make love to you that night." Seeing the chocolate colored eyes widened in disbelief, he stifled a laugh then said, "Do'aho. That part would come later that night, of course. Way later after we share a candlelit dinner during which I was supposed to confess that I'm ready both in heart and in mind to be your lover." 

Blinking stupidly a couple of times, "Then why wait this long before telling me that?" The redhead cried and would have said something else if not for the pain that clouded his mate's blue eyes. 

Dropping his hand onto his chest, "Because of what happened." Sighing, "I still wish that I didn't make you leave without me back then. But, the fact remains that I did and by doing so… you almost got raped," Rukawa barely whispered. Kneading his forehead, "The guilt held me back and I also couldn't make you face that horror by triggering something in your memory. So I waited till it's your turn to be ready." Meeting the brown gaze again, "Ready for you to make love with me," he ended then held his breath for the other's reaction. 

Though he knew that he had to say something, Sakuragi was incapable of saying anything for a second. The revelation brought both pain and sadness to him that he could only utter an, "Oh…" before laying his head back down. 

_[Last year… We've wasted a year,] _the redhead thought. As he closes his eyes, it was as if he got transported back to that time and place. He remembered watching the video, reading the letter, and how Rukawa never left his side the whole time. Unconsciously, he snuggled deeper within Rukawa's embrace as he recalled the hardships they both went through afterwards. 

It was months before both of them could actually put aside the said incident and that was after squashing a thousand inclinations to go to Tokyo and seek for revenge. Rukawa had been great. He was always there to sooth his worries and calm his fears and never once did he hear him complain about his moods. Once, only once, did he see Rukawa blow his fuse about the topic and that was when Hanagata went to visit them in the gym, relaying a message from Fujima saying that he hoped things were okay between him and Rukawa. What happened after that was unbelievable. The kitsune went berserk and he literally threw Hanagata out with a message saying that he would kill Fujima if he so ever shows his face or even come near him, Sakuragi, ever again. After that, Rukawa became morose and unapproachable. Thus, one night, after practice, after Rukawa brought him home, he asked the latter to stay a little while longer and they talked. They have spent the whole night talking and thankfully, came morning, the shroud left by Fujima got lifted and they were able to start anew. 

Smiling albeit feeling sad about the time they wasted because of the incident, "You know, even though I again have reason to pound that substitute to death for taking away my chance of sleeping with you that time, I'm glad that we have forgiven him," Sakuragi stated unexpectedly, shocking his blue-eyed lover. 

"Why?" 

Propping his head on Rukawa's chest, "Because at least now, we won't have his shadow looming over us." Sakuragi grinned. 

Rukawa's eyes shone anew as he gaze upon his adorable redhead and he could not agree more to what the other just said for he knew it also to be true. "Yes, Hana-kun. I am glad that we did." He replied, lifting his head to place a quick kiss onto the other's lips. 

Sighing blissfully once again, Sakuragi nestled back into Rukawa's embrace and said, "Life is perfect. Perfect now that I have you with me, for eternity!" He yelled into the wind. 

Sharing the other's happiness, "Yes… for eternity." The raven head agreed then would have proceeded to show how he would like to spend most of their 'eternity' when the other suddenly scrambled onto his feet in his naked glory. "What's wrong, Hana?" 

"I almost forgot. I have your gift down below. Don't move. I'll just be a second." 

The exuberant birthday boy was about to climb down the steps when a cloak of white came out of nowhere and covered his face. 

"Cover yourself, 'aho. I don't want anyone ogling over your body." 

Sakuragi blushed but did not retort. Instead, he went down to their supposed room, which Rukawa's warp mind would not let them use, to get his gift then hurriedly went back up thinking that he too did not want anybody ogling over his kitsune's uncovered body. 

"Here," Sakuragi said, handing over a rectangular wrapped gift then proceeded to cover the lower half of their bodies with the blanket he used. 

Curious, Rukawa sat up and opened the gift then his eyes lit up when he saw the content. "Hana, is this…?" 

"Yeah… That's where I got the song," Sakuragi beamed. 

This time it was Rukawa who almost went downstairs naked as he hurried to get his Discman from his bag. Once he got back up, he first placed the Discman on a safe enough place before lying none-to-gently on top of his pretending-to-be-asleep husband. "You can't sleep before I show you how much I love the gift, Hanamichi." He seductively whispered against the other's ear. 

Honey brown eyes peered through long lashes before fully opening them when they met a pair of the most beautiful pair of sparkling sapphire eyes glinting mischievously. Reaching out, Sakuragi lovingly caressed the face above his as he said, "I'm glad you liked it, though, I'm sorry if it's the only thing I could give you." 

The underlying meaning behind those words did not escape the raven head and again he felt the first stirrings of guilt, like he always did, whenever his 'aho would point their differences in stature. Capturing the hand that was caressing his face, he first placed a quick kiss on its palm before saying, "I don't care even if you have given me a gum, Hanamichi. What's important to me is YOU. You've given me the best gift I could ever wish for by marrying me." 

"Kaede…" 

"Sshh… Hush, Hana." Rukawa soothed, caressing the face before him when he saw the brown pupils glistening with tears. 

"I'm not crying!" Sakuragi denied though he was rubbing his eyes free of its wetness. 

Rukawa softly chuckled and said nothing. Rolling away from his lover, he picked up his Discman, connected it's output to the mini-speaker that he had also brought up, and after pressing play, a familiar song filled the upper deck of the yacht as he stare unseeingly out into the night. 

Trying to hum along with the song, the redhead allowed his raven head lover to his own musings while gazed up into the sky. Being alone… Growing up without someone caring for him… The trials… The hardships of childhood… Those that he once had to bear alone… They were now no more, faded into nothingness now that he has Kaede. 

"What are you thinking?" A voice cut through the silence. 

Meeting a pair of blue eyes, "You" Sakuragi replied, smiling as he crawled behind the raven head. "I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life." 

Leaning back against Sakuragi, "Me too." 

Lacing their hands together, Sakuragi placed his head on Rukawa's shoulder while cocooning the latter within their linked hands. "Do you think we could stay like this forever?" He questioned. 

"Why? Do you still have doubts?" 

"It's not that I have doubts but…" 

"But what?" The brunette urged. 

Kissing Rukawa's nape, "Do you know what my greatest fear is?" Feeling rather than seeing the other shake his head, "I fear that one day, you'd wake up and realize that you don't love me anymore," the redhead confessed. 

Brows furrowed, Rukawa leaned sideways and turned his head to stare at his lover. But Sakuragi looked away. Exhaling, "Look at me, Hanamichi." 

Reluctantly, the redhead turned his head and met Rukawa's gaze. 

Unclasping one of his hands, Rukawa reached out and touched Sakuragi's face as he said, "Do you even know how much you mean to me?" 

Seeing the solemn expression on his pale-faced lover, "You love me," he replied. 

Shaking his head, "Loving you, being with you, cherishing every moment spent with you… I feel all of those and yet it's not all that I feel for you." Taking Sakuragi's hand, Rukawa placed it against his heart and said, "Feel that, Hana-kun? Mom and Dad may have given it life, but you gave it reason to live. Without you, I'm nothing. Without you, there's no happiness." 

_[Kaede…] _

Gaze unwavering, heart thumping, and with a huge lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, Sakuragi sat motionless for a second before an overwhelming surge of love made him gather its recipient in his arms, holding him tight and never letting him go. 

_[God, if you're listening, please hear my plea. I don't need riches. I don't need glory. All I need and all that I wish for is for you to just let me have his love. Just Kaede's love and I'll never ask for anything else.] _

Up in the sky, a lone star suddenly shone brighter than the rest and upon seeing it, the 18 year-old once resident bullhorn of Shohoku High smiled his thanks for he knew that someone up there heard his plea. With the last of his worries gone from his heart, he turned his beloved around so they would be facing each other. Clasping one hand into his, he looked directly into his lover's eyes and said, "Thank you for making this day the most wonderful day of my life, Kaede. And…" Leaning to place a lingering kiss on the pale forehead, "Thank you for loving me," he whispered, before lowering his lips to meet the ascending one's of his kitsune. 

In the background, a different tune already replaced the one earlier played but no one took heed. Lips locked, arms entwined, bodies touching, the couple once again were lying naked under only a sheet of white as they celebrate their love by becoming one, in mind, heart, body and soul, under the moon's ethereal glow. 

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**THE END**

April 1st – THE GIFT © Yenny (April 01, 2002 – August 10, 2002) 

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	14. Notes and the Song in the fic...

Author's Notes:

First off, I want to thank all of you who has read and followed this fic. I can't thank you guys enough. And for those who pointed the efforts I made for this fic.. Thank you. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as well as I did for writing it. 

Next in line... You, Me, and Him. But before that... Another RuHana in the works... 

Written below is the song Hana-kun chose for his dearest Kitsune. You could say that the song itself inspired me to write this fic. A long one though ne?

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**YOUR LOVE**

Sung by: Michelle Wright 

(Jim Brickman Ballads) 

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_It's not the flowers, wrapped in fancy paper _

_It's not the ring, I wear around my finger _

_There's nothing in all the world I need _

_When I have you here beside me, here beside me _

_So you could give me wings to fly _

_And catch me if I fall _

_Or pull the stars down from the sky _

_So I could wish on them all _

_But I couldn't ask for more _

_'Cause your love is the greatest gift of all _

_In your arms, I found a strength inside me _

_And in your eyes, there's a light to guide me _

_I would be lost without you _

_And all that my heart could ever want has come true _

_You could offer me the sun, the moon _

_And I would still believe _

_You gave me everything _

_When you gave your heart to me _

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End file.
